Shining a Spotlight on Myeloma Awareness Week 2024

multiple myeloma awareness week 2024

This week, June 17-23, marks Myeloma Awareness Week 2024. For many, it’s a time to reflect and learn more about what myeloma is and how it can affect us. But for me, it’s deeply personal. My mum lost her battle with multiple myeloma, and subsequently secondary bowel cancer, in 2021. In my mum’s honour, I would like to join the fight against this devastating disease and highlight the importance of early symptom recognition and accessing appropriate treatment. So, join me as I shine a spotlight on Myeloma Awareness Week 2024.

myeloma

What is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that develops within the bone marrow’s plasma cells. Plasma cells are a specialised kind of white blood cell, responsible for producing antibodies that fight infections. 

In multiple myeloma, plasma cells divide uncontrollably, crowding out healthy blood cells. These abnormal plasma cells also produce an abnormal protein called monoclonal protein or M protein, which can damage organs like the kidneys. This protein can act as a biomarker of the disease as it can be measured within blood samples. 

Multiple myeloma is so-called because it affects multiple sites of the body, including the spine, ribs, jaw, and skull. 

Recognising Early Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma, like many cancers, can be challenging to diagnose in its early stages. Symptoms are often subtle and easily mistaken for other common conditions. This was the case for my mum, whose persistent back pain and recurring chest infections were initially dismissed. She was sent for multiple physiotherapy sessions, which only exacerbated her pain. By the time she finally received an X-ray and bone marrow biopsy, the disease had already caused extensive bone damage.

My mum’s experience highlights the importance of recognising the early warning signs of myeloma. Common early symptoms include:

  • Bone Pain: Often persistent and can affect the back, ribs, or skull. Some individuals may experience an increased incidence of bone fractures.
  • Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or weak, even after adequate rest.
  • Recurring Infections: Increased susceptibility to infections, especially respiratory infections (as in my mum’s case).
  • Kidney Problems: Changes in urination frequency or blood in the urine.
  • Anaemia: Low red blood cell count, leading to fatigue and shortness of breath.
  • Hypercalcaemia: High calcium levels in the blood, which can cause extreme thirst, frequent urination, nausea, confusion, and weakness.

If you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, it’s important to consult with your doctor to rule out myeloma or other underlying conditions. While these symptoms may not always indicate myeloma, early detection and treatment significantly improve outcomes.

Myeloma Awareness Week 2024: The Importance of Awareness

A delayed multiple myeloma diagnosis can increase the risk of complications and a poorer prognosis. Appropriate early treatment can help to halt disease progression and limit irreversible bone damage. This is why raising awareness about the early symptoms of multiple myeloma is so important. 

So, what can we do to increase awareness?

  • Know the Signs: Bone pain, fatigue, recurring infections, and kidney problems can be early indicators. If you or a loved one experiences these symptoms, please don’t hesitate to talk to a doctor.
  • Support Research: Myeloma research has made great strides, but there’s still much to learn. We must do what we can to support organisations dedicated to finding new treatments and, hopefully, a cure.
  • Spread the Word: As individuals, we can share important information about myeloma with our friends, family, and local community. The more people who know about this disease, the better equipped we will be to fight it.
multiple myeloma awareness week 2024

Celebrating Myeloma Awareness Week 2024

There is some really promising research underway in the field of myeloma, offering hope for new and improved treatments.

To mark Myeloma Awareness Week, Blood Cancer UK is allocating an exciting £1.3m of funding to new myeloma research projects. This includes one exciting new research project at the University of Birmingham, where researchers are working towards developing a novel blood test to diagnose and monitor patients whose myeloma is currently unmeasurable (where they produce insufficient amounts of M protein). 

Meanwhile, in honour of Myeloma Awareness Week 2024, Myeloma UK has started its #InMyeOwnWords campaign, encouraging people to share examples of their myeloma symptoms in their own words. These real-world explanations of symptoms have been used to develop a handy “symptom translator”, allowing patients to share their experiences more easily with their GP. This is a nice way of raising awareness while also giving people a voice to express how the disease has affected them and streamlining communications between patients and their doctors. By improving how a patient understands and articulates their symptoms, this has the potential to improve early disease diagnosis and treatment.


Together, we can raise our voices, raise awareness, and make a difference in the fight against myeloma. 

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