related disorders

• Amyloidosis

This is really a collection of conditions. An abnormal protein called amyloid is made by the plasma cells. The amyloid collects in the body organs, such as the kidney, gastrointestinal tract, heart or nervous system. About 10 to 15 out of every 100 (10-15%) people with myeloma will either have, or develop, amyloidosis. It is rare for people with amyloidosis to develop myeloma. Doctors usually treat amyloidosis with chemotherapy, and use the same drugs that are used for myeloma.

• Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia

Uncontrolled production of IgM is a rare form of plasma cell cancer known as Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia. Excessive amounts of IgM cause the blood to thicken (hyperviscosity). Symptoms can include enlarged lymph nodes, spleen or liver, fatigue due to anemia, headaches, weight loss, a tendency to bleed easily (due to too few platelets in the blood), visual problems, confusion or dizziness. In extreme cases, the increased concentration of IgM in the blood can lead to heart failure.

• Light Chain Deposition Disease (LCDD)

A very small proportion of myeloma patient will have or develop LCDD. In LCDD, abnormal light chains collect in organs such as the kidneys.

• POEMS Syndrome

POEMS syndrome is a rare blood disorder. It is associated with an uncommon type of myeloma called osteosclerotic myeloma and a condition called Castleman's disease. The condition is about twice as common in men as in women. The average age for men to be diagnosed is about 50 years of age and for women about 60 years of age.

POEMS stands for: 

• Polyneuropathy: this means nerve damage. It usually begins as tingling, numbness or coldness in the feet. This gradually spreads up the legs. Later the hands and arms may be affected. The nerve damage can also lead to muscle weakness. This can cause difficulty in walking. 
• Organomegaly: The liver, spleen or lymph glands may become larger than normal. 
• Endocrinopathy: Hormone levels in the body may alter. If the hormone that controls your blood sugar is affected this can cause diabetes. Levels of sex hormones can be affected. In men this can affect the size of the testicles, cause breast tissue to grow and lead to impotence. Women's periods may become irregular or stop altogether. Sometimes the thyroid gland is affected. 
• M-protein: refers to an increase in the level of a protein in the blood. 
• Skin changes: the skin may become darker or thicken especially over the lower part of the legs.

In addition to these symptoms other effects of POEMS syndrome can include:

* swelling of the feet and ankles caused by a build up of fluid (peripheral oedema)
* swelling of the tummy caused by a build up of fluid (ascites)
* too many red cells in the blood (polycythaemia)
* too many blood clotting cells in the blood (thrombocytosis)

Polyneuropathy is the only symptom that everyone with POEMS syndrome shares. Most people will have some other symptoms but not all of them.