My father had multiple myeloma and passed away. My older brother was diagnosed with multiple myeloma around 3 years ago. He is 57 now.
Lately I have had numbness in my feet. Especially my left one. I actually just started feeling the numbness and weakness in my left leg also. That has been minimal.
Can you have multiple myeloma with just these symptoms?
I was told no by my primary doctor, but with the family history, I am not so sure.
Thanks
Forums
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Have an x-ray done of your spine, and have the doctor look very carefully for any winking owls.
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Little Monkey - Name: Little Monkey
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father-stage 1 multiple myeloma
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March/April of 2015
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Tom,
Given your family history, it's perfectly reasonable to ask your doc to run a serum immunofixation and electrophoresis test. These are cheap and easy lab tests to do and would be a good starting point. These tests would tell you under most circumstances if you had any sort of a monoclonal gammopathy such as multiple myeloma (or an earlier stage such as MGUS).
It also wouldn't be a bad idea to ask your doc to run these tests in the future as part of your annual exam (or at least every 2-3 years).
Given your family history, it's perfectly reasonable to ask your doc to run a serum immunofixation and electrophoresis test. These are cheap and easy lab tests to do and would be a good starting point. These tests would tell you under most circumstances if you had any sort of a monoclonal gammopathy such as multiple myeloma (or an earlier stage such as MGUS).
It also wouldn't be a bad idea to ask your doc to run these tests in the future as part of your annual exam (or at least every 2-3 years).
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Tom:
The symptoms you describe, could be the beginnings of a number of conditions / illnesses.
Many neurological ones. ie. MS, Woody Guthrie's Disease (Huntington's), Polio, etc.
Also could be: start of Endocrine diseases: ie. Diabetes.
Also could be Skeletal, vascular, or trauma: Nerve lesions, etc.
Could also be benign.
I'd run all this past your MD.
Do you work with chemicals and/or Radiation ??
While the current thought is that multiple myeloma is NOT directly Genetic--if you worked in a similar exposure Industry as your brother, that might give credence to further possible workup.?
Good luck.
The symptoms you describe, could be the beginnings of a number of conditions / illnesses.
Many neurological ones. ie. MS, Woody Guthrie's Disease (Huntington's), Polio, etc.
Also could be: start of Endocrine diseases: ie. Diabetes.
Also could be Skeletal, vascular, or trauma: Nerve lesions, etc.
Could also be benign.
I'd run all this past your MD.
Do you work with chemicals and/or Radiation ??
While the current thought is that multiple myeloma is NOT directly Genetic--if you worked in a similar exposure Industry as your brother, that might give credence to further possible workup.?
Good luck.
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Rneb
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Rneb,
I'm not sure I would agree with your statement that "....the current thought is that multiple myeloma is NOT directly genetic". While familial multiple myeloma is still being studied, there are doctors that believe there is a case to be made for familial multiple myeloma today.
See this study:
HT Lynch and SD. Thomé, "Familial multiple myeloma," Blood, July 23, 2009 (full text of article)
Also see Dr. Voorhees' comments in this thread:
"Dad and grandmother diagnosed - what are my chances?" (started Jan 14, 2012)
And according to the American Cancer Society:
Source:
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-risk-factors
But I sincerely doubt that most GPs are aware of the above studies.
I'm not sure I would agree with your statement that "....the current thought is that multiple myeloma is NOT directly genetic". While familial multiple myeloma is still being studied, there are doctors that believe there is a case to be made for familial multiple myeloma today.
See this study:
HT Lynch and SD. Thomé, "Familial multiple myeloma," Blood, July 23, 2009 (full text of article)
Also see Dr. Voorhees' comments in this thread:
"Dad and grandmother diagnosed - what are my chances?" (started Jan 14, 2012)
And according to the American Cancer Society:
"Multiple myeloma seems to run in some families. Someone who has a sibling or parent with myeloma is 4 times more likely to get it than would be expected. Still, most patients have no affected relatives, so this accounts for only a small number of cases."
Source:
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiplemyeloma/detailedguide/multiple-myeloma-risk-factors
But I sincerely doubt that most GPs are aware of the above studies.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
billy:
And there are scientists out there, who believe in a flat earth....I suspect.
So...While the current thought is that multiple myeloma IS directly Genetic-- is that your position ?
We can certainly play "this study v That study" --but I am unaware of any demonstrated genetic link by anyone. If they were to do so, a cure or simple genetic "fix" would be on the Horizon, as the cause would lead to the cure.
ie. Translocations are more likely due to intervening causes ( Radiation & Chemical exposure) than Genetic, per the overwhelming data.
Anecdotal is not Science,...just yet.
And there are scientists out there, who believe in a flat earth....I suspect.
So...While the current thought is that multiple myeloma IS directly Genetic-- is that your position ?
We can certainly play "this study v That study" --but I am unaware of any demonstrated genetic link by anyone. If they were to do so, a cure or simple genetic "fix" would be on the Horizon, as the cause would lead to the cure.
ie. Translocations are more likely due to intervening causes ( Radiation & Chemical exposure) than Genetic, per the overwhelming data.
Anecdotal is not Science,...just yet.
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Rneb
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Rneb,
My point is simply that I would not talk in terms of absolutes about familial genetic links and multiple myeloma. Given that someone is 4x more likely to develop multiple myeloma if one of their parents or siblings developed myeloma in the past, then that alone seems like a good reason to ask a doctor for some simple follow-up myeloma-related tests if they are exhibiting symptoms that could be associated with the disease.
My point is simply that I would not talk in terms of absolutes about familial genetic links and multiple myeloma. Given that someone is 4x more likely to develop multiple myeloma if one of their parents or siblings developed myeloma in the past, then that alone seems like a good reason to ask a doctor for some simple follow-up myeloma-related tests if they are exhibiting symptoms that could be associated with the disease.
Last edited by Multibilly on Tue Sep 29, 2015 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Rneb,
Saying that genetics can make someone more likely to develop multiple myeloma is not the same as saying multiple myeloma is purely an inherited, genetically determined disease. Heritable characteristics may predispose someone to the disease, making it more likely they will get it, without guaranteeing they will get it.
Also, what evidence is there that knowing what causes a disease -- genetics or otherwise -- leads soon to a cure for it? The cause of AIDS is well known. However, the disease can only be controlled, not cured.
Heck, I'll give you a simpler example. It's well known that various viruses cause the common cold. Yet there isn't any cure for it.
Saying that genetics can make someone more likely to develop multiple myeloma is not the same as saying multiple myeloma is purely an inherited, genetically determined disease. Heritable characteristics may predispose someone to the disease, making it more likely they will get it, without guaranteeing they will get it.
Also, what evidence is there that knowing what causes a disease -- genetics or otherwise -- leads soon to a cure for it? The cause of AIDS is well known. However, the disease can only be controlled, not cured.
Heck, I'll give you a simpler example. It's well known that various viruses cause the common cold. Yet there isn't any cure for it.
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JimNY
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
Trained MD's are better suited to "run the Differentials", than untrained Bloggers...
"When you hear hoofbeats,...you don't think of African Zebras, as you sit in Mizzouri "
..as the saying goes.
"When you hear hoofbeats,...you don't think of African Zebras, as you sit in Mizzouri "
..as the saying goes.
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Rneb
Re: Multiple myeloma symptoms & family history
A Google search showed at least one scientific paper linking heredity to multiple myeloma. The inheritance is not Mendelian though.
DT Koura and AA Langston, "Inherited predisposition to multiple myeloma," Therapeutic Advances in Hematology, August, 2013 (abstract; full text at Pubmed Central)
In our modern age, DNA sequencing can be done on patients who show myeloma in the same family. This is an active area of research!
DT Koura and AA Langston, "Inherited predisposition to multiple myeloma," Therapeutic Advances in Hematology, August, 2013 (abstract; full text at Pubmed Central)
In our modern age, DNA sequencing can be done on patients who show myeloma in the same family. This is an active area of research!
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
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