[gardengirl]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by gardengirl on Sat Mar 15, 2014 9:51 pm

Hmmmm. I wonder how I got it! Maybe I exercise too much and eat too healthy.

But seriously, I am in my late 40s and have always had a very healthy lifestyle -- good weight, exercise daily, eat tons of fruits and veggies, no fast foods. I don't drink, smoke or do drugs (well, maybe one puff in college ...).

I am a believer of genetics AND the environment interacting together. Our bodies are soooo intricate. If one Lego is out of place, it changes the infrastructure. Perhaps there's a virus that begins a downward spiral or chain of events to the immune system. I remember in college getting very sick once and then I started getting cold sores (so I guess that was my exposure to the herpes virus, HSV1). Shouldn't have taken that puff!

But many people are infected and don't get multiple myeloma. The only other thing I can think of for me, personally, is that I love gardening; but I don't use any pesticides other than Roundup, oh, and we do get our lawn treated. But, again, so do many others. It would be a relief to find the trigger, but I think there are many needles hiding in the haystack!

Some day ...

[Wayne K]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Wayne K on Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:54 am

It wouldn't surprise me if that if the cause is ever found that it's in a genetic mutation that can be triggered by several different environmental events. Many additives and chemical applications aren't treated over the long term except in the general public and it often takes an obvious effect on high numbers to be noticed.

[Thelimeusa]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Thelimeusa on Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:59 am

I wonder about EMF exposure? We live next to powerlines so I bought an EMF reader to test exposure. Not much of a reading from powerlines but found a high reading on my wife's pillow. 20-30 m Gauss verses 1.5 m Gauss for rest of the house. The power box to the house was on the outside side of the wall next to my wife's head.

I have not heard of a connection between EMF and multiple myeloma but I often wonder. Please make sure no members of your family are sleeping behind main power boxes.

[Wayne K]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Wayne K on Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:02 am

I would question the validity of testing something like a pillow, especially used by someone who has a lot of hair. If the EMF is high in the pillow from the power box, it would also be high in that area of the mattress and in the wall.

[Wayne K]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Wayne K on Mon Mar 17, 2014 11:48 am

I have often questioned whether my sister and I were affected by some fallout from the '50's bomb test. I know that a radiation link has not been verified, only suspected, but mapping any one individuals exposure over a long term is virtually impossible in a mobile society.

I will always wonder if we didn't receive some DNA damage through various above-average known exposures to radiation.

The bomb test, the advent of the TV/PC monitor, the microwave oven, increased usage of medical X rays, all had a larger number to expose because of the baby boomers. I don't know how a reasonable study could be done, however, in light of the fact that the cancer can be slow to develop. This would therefore make it all but impossible to map the exposure of an individual.

This might interest some.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/fallout/feasibilitystudy/Technical_Vol_1_Chapter_4.pdf

[Eric Hofacket]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Eric Hofacket on Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:28 pm

Over the last couple of years I have searched for information on the potential causes of myeloma and have not found much. I remember reading about some research studies that found that there is a somewhat higher incidence of myeloma in petrochemical workers and agriculture workers who work a lot with chemicals. I suspect that this population groups probably has a higher incidence of cancer in general, not just myeloma.

There was another that suggested that some cosmetologist who work with certain hair dyes showed a slightly high incidence. Shipyard works also were found to have higher incidence of myeloma that the general population. I do not remember any of these studies finding any kind of overwhelming large increase of myeloma in these population groups, just a statically significant increase.

I read that exposure to high radiation levels has clearly been linked to myeloma and many other cancers, the kind of levels seen in the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Lower radiation levels I have not seen much about links to myeloma.

In my case, I got myeloma at 44, a pretty young age, and I was a crew member on a US nuclear submarine where I spent two years in a shipyard doing a lot of operations that exposed us to more radiation that usual, such as refueling the nuclear reactor.

Is this reason I got myeloma? I do not believe that could be ever proven one way or the other, but that is the only environmental causes I can identify for myself.

[Terri Michigan]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Terri Michigan on Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:09 pm

I am amazed at all of the young people with myeloma. It would seem to me that younger people are getting this disease more and more.

I worked in a automotive parts factory for 20 years. I tended to get hydraulic brake fluid on my clothes a lot. I am short & always had to lean up to the production line to load my parts. The most saturated area on me every day was on my pants -- my right hip. Yep, you guessed it -- my first plasmacytoma was at 45 yrs old in my right hip.

I also had a bad cold and cough that I couldn't get rid of for a couple months prior to being diagnosed. Just my history. I do know of one other person at my shop that died from multiple myeloma after he retired, but he was a machine repair. As far as I know, he is the only other person I am aware of that had multiple myeloma there, and they employed about 1000 people in all different areas.

We make brakes and a lot of people ended up sick from working with brake pads that had asbestos in them. They no longer make the brakes like that, thanks to research in cancer from it.

[Chlorine kills]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by Chlorine kills on Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:23 pm

Looking after a chlorine pool for 30 years did it to me. I was wrist deep in the stuff every 2 days as I looked after the pool. Wish I could go back and suit up like an astronaut every time I did it. Paying dearly now with myeloma, fatigue, bone pain and very sore jaw that rings like a bell.

[juliofrippo]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by juliofrippo on Tue Mar 18, 2014 12:58 pm

I guess there's really no correct answer. However, I tend to go with the genetic answer. The reason is that, in addition to multiple myeloma, several years ago I was diagnosed with heart failure and underwent several surgeries to implant a pacemaker and a defibrillator. Just like multiple myeloma, the doctors could not come up for a cause. Makes me believe that genetics plays a role in both.

[vicstir]

Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?

by vicstir on Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:33 pm

Hello all,

Yesterday after my chemo. I was walking through the waiting room when I ran into an old work colleague. I had not seen him in 10 years or so. We got to talking, as you do, and I asked him what cancer he had. He too has multiple myeloma. He was diagnosed some 6 years ago and is currently in remission.

We know each other because we worked together for approx 8 years at a kitchen manufacturing company. As you can imagine, a kitchen factory is full of sawdust from the various boards. All chemically treated -- HMRMDF, MRMDF mostly. Also glues, silicones, and lacquer fumes are daily occurrences.

So it is coincidence that we have the same disease. Did we get it somehow from the work place environment? Outside of were we worked we had nothing else in common.

Just some food for thought.

Thanks, Vic