My father had leukemia and died with 77, had no treatment for it. My girl friend, who lived in the same town and then moved 10 miles away, has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and her mother had the same and died in her late seventies also.
Additionally, we both were born in Europe and lived our first 20 years within 10 miles of where bombs were dropped etc. at the end of the second world war. We both live in the U.S. since the mid 1960s.
Both my friend and I had been doctor/medication free for over 40 years prior to the cancer diagnosis. We are in our late 60s now. I have been a vegetarian for almost 20 years and on the Dr. Esselstyn (Bill Clinton ) diet for two years prior to diagnosis; but live the "good life" now. I still don't eat red meat, but am not as concerned anymore what I eat. I follow my cravings within reason. At my age, I figure, sooner or later my body will die of something.
Recently, I have read an article where family connections are possible and usually the 'next' generation is younger when it starts to be diagnosed.
Kate
Forums
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
Very interesting thread. In my case, I was exposed to DDT from the trucks who came through the neighborhood spraying for mosquitoes in the '60's. In my nursing career in surgery, I had two severe exposures to the gas used to sterilize instruments. Several years ago I was exposed to insulation of treated post production newspaper. That lasted weekly for several years. No one in my family has experienced multiple myeloma.
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Lin516 - Name: Lin
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 04/09/2013
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
Not saying it's the cause, but my husband used to joke about how when he was a kid, for fun they used to ride their bikes in the fog behind the mosquito trucks, and that some day he'd probably get cancer from it. The joke's not so funny anymore.
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rumnting - Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 4/9/11
- Age at diagnosis: 54
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
I think a gap in finding the cause might be that there doesn't seem to be a concentrated effort to document anything. I'm sure that cost has a lot to do with it, and it's unfortunate that much of our taxpayer money goes to things less important, but a survey of all diagnoses relating to life's experience would go a long way I would think. I can think of several things I shouldn't have been exposed to and others that I probably was exposed to.
In my case, losing a sister to the disease and having no record of any ancestral cases puts her and I at the forefront and should reduce the cause to something shared or incidental. The fact we were 2 years apart tends to make me believe it was something shared in the environment and probably in the first 2 decades.
The other possibility is that we share a gene that makes us vulnerable to outside influence.
In my case, losing a sister to the disease and having no record of any ancestral cases puts her and I at the forefront and should reduce the cause to something shared or incidental. The fact we were 2 years apart tends to make me believe it was something shared in the environment and probably in the first 2 decades.
The other possibility is that we share a gene that makes us vulnerable to outside influence.
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Wayne K - Name: Wayne
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself, my sister who passed in '95
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 03/09
- Age at diagnosis: 70
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
I've read that, after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, there was eventually a significantly higher incidence of myeloma in people who lived between 1-2 miles from the epicenter. (Nagasaki was a different type of bomb, and there were no such relationship)
Off Topic ... If pesticides were a risk for myeloma, I'd think the Hispanic community would be awash in the disease. A worker who mixes and loads a spray rig, then spends 12 hour days on the rig spraying, would be exposed to rates millions of times greater than anybody else. And inhaling chemicals is generally going to be more harmful than ingesting it (I think?).
Even though we do all we can to prevent exposure, using respirators, rubber gloves, enclosed cabs, etc,, it would be impossible to not be exposed while operating a sprayer on a farm.
For the last 40 years, I'd be willing to bet 75%-90% of those who are mixing, loading, and spraying on farms have been Hispanic (at least in California).
Have there been studies looking at this sector of our workforce?
Off Topic ... If pesticides were a risk for myeloma, I'd think the Hispanic community would be awash in the disease. A worker who mixes and loads a spray rig, then spends 12 hour days on the rig spraying, would be exposed to rates millions of times greater than anybody else. And inhaling chemicals is generally going to be more harmful than ingesting it (I think?).
Even though we do all we can to prevent exposure, using respirators, rubber gloves, enclosed cabs, etc,, it would be impossible to not be exposed while operating a sprayer on a farm.
For the last 40 years, I'd be willing to bet 75%-90% of those who are mixing, loading, and spraying on farms have been Hispanic (at least in California).
Have there been studies looking at this sector of our workforce?
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Stann - Name: Stann
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 9/11/09
- Age at diagnosis: 46
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
My 65-year-old husband is undergoing testing for multiple myeloma, and this diagnosis looks likely.
He worked for years as a photo finishing rep and spent quite a bit of time diagnosing problems in photo finishing labs, many of the smaller ones likely without proper ventilation with pre-OSHA standards.
It's interesting to speculate but, in the end, our lives will be centered on research and treatment, both of which are on the cusp of major breakthroughs.
Light and grace to all affected by this or any cancer.
He worked for years as a photo finishing rep and spent quite a bit of time diagnosing problems in photo finishing labs, many of the smaller ones likely without proper ventilation with pre-OSHA standards.
It's interesting to speculate but, in the end, our lives will be centered on research and treatment, both of which are on the cusp of major breakthroughs.
Light and grace to all affected by this or any cancer.
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Silverlady - Name: Silverlady
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb. 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
InQ wrote:
I think this scenario is likely a contributing component in multiple myeloma ... thanks for sharing it.
In terms of environmental and chemical exposures, could it be that multiple myeloma is actually trying to protect the body from such exposures? It is, after all, producing excess immunoglobulins. It just so happens that creating the excess immunoglobulin does not get turned off.
I think this scenario is likely a contributing component in multiple myeloma ... thanks for sharing it.
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Silverlady - Name: Silverlady
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb. 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 65
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
Hello,
Some remarks:
I am also trying to understand why this myeloma.
I did a blood test (isoelectric focusing of proteins in the liquid phase - Isofocalisation des protéines en phase liquide -), which would show that the origin is viral.
And indeed, for many years, I went on holiday in Egpyt the summer, where I was often sick (food? climate?).
But when I wanted to show this test to my hematologist, he would not consider it at all. Maybe because it brings nothing.
And I live in Paris, France. In 1985, we had the Chernobyl cloud over our heads.
I painted (art oil painting) since 1990, until a year ago (I stopped) and I used a lot of solvents such as mineral spirits. I painted every night several hours.
I think a combination of events and a "distraught" response from our system. But I'm not a doctor ... And even if we know the origin of the disease, can we treat it from there?
The drugs treat the symptoms, but what about the deep disease? Because it can come back....
Some remarks:
I am also trying to understand why this myeloma.
I did a blood test (isoelectric focusing of proteins in the liquid phase - Isofocalisation des protéines en phase liquide -), which would show that the origin is viral.
And indeed, for many years, I went on holiday in Egpyt the summer, where I was often sick (food? climate?).
But when I wanted to show this test to my hematologist, he would not consider it at all. Maybe because it brings nothing.
And I live in Paris, France. In 1985, we had the Chernobyl cloud over our heads.
I painted (art oil painting) since 1990, until a year ago (I stopped) and I used a lot of solvents such as mineral spirits. I painted every night several hours.
I think a combination of events and a "distraught" response from our system. But I'm not a doctor ... And even if we know the origin of the disease, can we treat it from there?
The drugs treat the symptoms, but what about the deep disease? Because it can come back....
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Jacqueline - Name: Jacqueline
- When were you/they diagnosed?: november 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
Silverlady wrote:
And if the virus or chemical agent was still in our bodies, in sleep? Would this justify the production of ever more immunoglobulins?
InQ wrote:In terms of environmental and chemical exposures, could it be that multiple myeloma is actually trying to protect the body from such exposures? It is, after all, producing excess Immunoglobulins. It just so happens that creating the excess immunoglobulin does not get turned off.
I think this scenario is likely a contributing component in multiple myeloma...thanks for sharing it.
And if the virus or chemical agent was still in our bodies, in sleep? Would this justify the production of ever more immunoglobulins?
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Jacqueline - Name: Jacqueline
- When were you/they diagnosed?: november 2010
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Hypothetical causes of multiple myeloma?
I am definitely suspecting chemical exposure and especially benzene and solvents. While I currently work in an office, for the last 15 years I always had hobbies working on cars and house remodeling. Foolishly I never used protection equipment. Two years ago I installed wood floors in my entire house and used solvent-based floor covering, I slept in the room after painting. Then, since the work was not up to snuff, I sanded the floor with a broken bag machine. I was covered in that dust, which was a mixture of solvent coating and wood, and it probably got sucked into my central HVAC. Also used lot of solvents washing hands working on cars and spilled gasoline on me many times. 
In my military days I was around lot of diesel fumes and solvents working as an Army transportation officer with much of trucks, also worked around cargo ships, ammunition containers, and rail cars. I know I was not exposed to any radiation in Iraq, which is the first thing everybody seems to blame when they find out I was deployed. The area we were in had none. We used equipment to detect it. I slept in a clean container when I was there, so no asbestos. I may have been exposed to micowave radar in my current office job, as our office was on top of an aircraft assembly line where they tested radar outside. But it is directional, and we were on top of it and no one else got sick.
Also, one of our wonderful military housing units in Germany had a huge mold infestation in the basement. We lived in that house for 3 years. I know my wife got arthritis from there. I can only speculate about multiple myeloma.
I was in the U.S. during Chernobyl, so again I don’t buy the radiation argument.
I think it’s important to find out what caused it so we can save other people. The problem is there is no profit in such a study. Also you have powerful industries that will deny any wrongdoing.
Stan
In my military days I was around lot of diesel fumes and solvents working as an Army transportation officer with much of trucks, also worked around cargo ships, ammunition containers, and rail cars. I know I was not exposed to any radiation in Iraq, which is the first thing everybody seems to blame when they find out I was deployed. The area we were in had none. We used equipment to detect it. I slept in a clean container when I was there, so no asbestos. I may have been exposed to micowave radar in my current office job, as our office was on top of an aircraft assembly line where they tested radar outside. But it is directional, and we were on top of it and no one else got sick.
Also, one of our wonderful military housing units in Germany had a huge mold infestation in the basement. We lived in that house for 3 years. I know my wife got arthritis from there. I can only speculate about multiple myeloma.
I was in the U.S. during Chernobyl, so again I don’t buy the radiation argument.
I think it’s important to find out what caused it so we can save other people. The problem is there is no profit in such a study. Also you have powerful industries that will deny any wrongdoing.
Stan
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StanK - Name: StanK
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 2017
- Age at diagnosis: 48
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