[marett]

Variation in plasmacytoma size: is it normal?

by marett on Sun Sep 17, 2017 11:19 pm

Hi,

My husband has had multiple myeloma for about 10 years. He had a stem cell transplant 6 years ago and since then has been on a maintenance of dex.

Recently he discovered a lump on his chest that was biopsied and confirmed that it is a plasma­cytoma - multiple myeloma. He is waiting for radiation therapy for treatment. His blood work is all great, so for now it is just being treated with radiation.

When discovered, the plasmacytoma was 7 cm long. When he took dex, it shrunk to about 2 cm. It grew again when he stopped dex, and now has shrunk again to about 3 cm.

Is it normal for the size of a plasmacytoma to vary like this?

[SaraM]

Re: Variation in plasmacytoma size: is it normal?

by SaraM on Tue Feb 20, 2018 12:06 am

Hi,

I see your post is from September, so by now maybe radiation has started and completed.

My dad had a plasmacytoma on / near his spine. Prior to surgery, the doctors did give him dexa­meth­a­sone steroid so It would decrease in size, and it did. I think the fact it decreases is a positive sign nonetheless.

Hope all is well.

[DDstrong]

Re: Variation in plasmacytoma size: is it normal?

by DDstrong on Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:44 am

Interesting topic. My doctor seems to go on 'feel.' I have plasmacytomas in my intestinal lining. Every week he feels around and comments that it seems they have gotten smaller.

There was one point in time that he was concerned that they were enlarged (I can feel them myself, kind of), and we have confirmed their size through an ultrasound.

Going to do another ultrasound in a few days, guess I'll have my answer on whether they vary in size.