Multiple Myeloma:What Tom Brokaw Has

The well-known NBC Newsman and author Tom Brokaw,72,recently revealed he is being treated for multiple myeloma.It is a type of blood cancer in which abnormal plasma cells accumulate in the bones and bone marrow,where they can interfere with the production of blood cells and damage or fracture bones,as well as produce M proteins that damage the body.Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce antibodies which help the body fight infection.In multiple myeloma,these cells can multiply uncontrollably in several bones,causing a range of problems.Progressive MM is a terminal illness,but can be fought off for a number of years.The four year survival rate is up to 60% on the latest drug regimen.One doctor described it as being similar to having diabetes for many of his patients.*
Multiple myeloma has no known cause,but there are a number of risk factors,such as being over 65;an African American;a male;and having a family history of the disease.About 22,000 Americans a year are diagnosed with it.It may be detected during routine blood and urine tests,or a patient may present with such symptoms as bone fractures,back pain,infections,nosebleeds or anemia.Diagnosis and staging is achieved with more blood and urine tests,x-rays,CT scans,PET scans and MRI,and most definitively by needle biopsy.*
Complications of MM may include kidney failure,bone pain and fractures,weakness,bleeding,infections,hypercalcemia-calcium leaking into the bloodstream from damaged bones-spinal cord compression and neuropathy.*
This cancer can be without symptoms for years or may require immediate treatment.The treatments range from oral and IV chemotherapy,to radiation and stem cell transplants,with their attendant side effects.Clinical trials for new treatments are also a possibility for MM patients.*
As with other cancers,being hopeful and staying as active as possible for as long as possible is a wise course.Mr.Brokaw is said to be responding well to treatment and continuing with his projects.

Advances in Oncology

Our knowledge of cancer grows with each passing month,moving us to an ever greater understanding of the processes and origins of these complex diseases.British researchers have been cataloging the abnormalities which cause cancer across the human genome.There are 23,000 mutations in every cancer cell.Specifically,the scientists have mapped the genetic code for two common cancers:lung cancer and malignant melanoma.This had never been done before.Over time,such detailed knowledge should enable the development of new screening tests and treatments.The research was published in the science journal Nature.
One cause of genetic mutations is exposure to radiation.For instance,CT scans have now been found to cause more cancers than was previously thought.This important diagnostic procedure peers deep inside the body,resulting in radiation exposure worse than that caused by conventional x-rays.A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine says that,of all the patients that had CT scans in 2007,27,000 will develop cancers as a result of the scans,and 15,000 of them will die.The lead researcher commented that it is clear that many CTs are unnecessary.
While some oncology research leads to new treatments or screening techniques,other studies cause testing guidelines to be revised or reinforced,and may be just as important to patient welfare.