I was diagnosed with stage III multiple myeloma in 2011. It was fairly widespread in the bone, and I had a fairly large tumor in my chest. Yet my calcium levels have always been normal.
Is it common to be diagnosed with state 3 multiple myeloma yet have normal calcium levels throughout treatment?
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MarcM - Name: Marc
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 45
Re: Stage 3 multiple myeloma with normal calcium levels?
My mother was diagnosed with stage 3A and is receiving treatment for the last one year. Her calcium levels are perfectly normal. She has multiple lesions all over and no tumor. I was wondering about the very same question you asked.
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Mira
Re: Stage 3 multiple myeloma with normal calcium levels?
Hi Marc,
Welcome to the forum.
When you say your myeloma was "widespread in the bone", are you saying that you had many lytic lesions throughout your skeleton or simply that a PET/CT or MRI detected the disease on a widespread basis in your skeleton's bone marrow?
Also, when you say you had a "fairly large tumor in your chest", are you saying that you had a tumor in your soft tissue (extramedullary myeloma) or that you had a tumor on one of your ribs or other bones in your chest?
The reason I ask these questions is because it's the process of actual bone destruction (lytic lesions) by myeloma and the associated interference with your body's bone maintenance process (specifically, bone resporption) that causes hypercalcemia. I'm not sure that simply having widespread myeloma in one's bone marrow (in the absence of lytic lesions) or an extramedullary tumor in the soft tissue would necessarily impact your calcium level - but then again, I'm not a doctor, so please check with yours.
Also, note that only about 10-15% of patients diagnosed with myeloma present with hypercalcemia.
Welcome to the forum.
When you say your myeloma was "widespread in the bone", are you saying that you had many lytic lesions throughout your skeleton or simply that a PET/CT or MRI detected the disease on a widespread basis in your skeleton's bone marrow?
Also, when you say you had a "fairly large tumor in your chest", are you saying that you had a tumor in your soft tissue (extramedullary myeloma) or that you had a tumor on one of your ribs or other bones in your chest?
The reason I ask these questions is because it's the process of actual bone destruction (lytic lesions) by myeloma and the associated interference with your body's bone maintenance process (specifically, bone resporption) that causes hypercalcemia. I'm not sure that simply having widespread myeloma in one's bone marrow (in the absence of lytic lesions) or an extramedullary tumor in the soft tissue would necessarily impact your calcium level - but then again, I'm not a doctor, so please check with yours.
Also, note that only about 10-15% of patients diagnosed with myeloma present with hypercalcemia.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Stage 3 multiple myeloma with normal calcium levels?
I don't know if it's common, but I was diagnosed with Stage 3, had many lytic lesions, and my calcium has never been out of range.
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goldmine848 - Name: Andrew
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Stage 3 multiple myeloma with normal calcium levels?
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for the follow-up. I definitely remember reading other posts on this forum where folks had lytic lesions, yet normal calcium levels. Also, there was this post from Terry that summarized the most common symptoms at the time of symptomatic diagnosis:
"Most common symptoms at multiple myeloma diagnosis" (Nov 5, 2015)
Note the very large discrepancy between bone lesions and hypercalcemia being reported at the time of diagnosis (80% and 13%, respectively).
Thanks for the follow-up. I definitely remember reading other posts on this forum where folks had lytic lesions, yet normal calcium levels. Also, there was this post from Terry that summarized the most common symptoms at the time of symptomatic diagnosis:
"Most common symptoms at multiple myeloma diagnosis" (Nov 5, 2015)
Note the very large discrepancy between bone lesions and hypercalcemia being reported at the time of diagnosis (80% and 13%, respectively).
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Stage 3 multiple myeloma with normal calcium levels?
And just to show another angle, at the time I was diagnosed, I had relatively few lytic lesions and a calcium level that was through the roof and which had been well above normal for at least the previous year.
I was never staged as I don't believe my doctors see much value in staging for myeloma.
I was never staged as I don't believe my doctors see much value in staging for myeloma.
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Mike F - Name: Mike F
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 18, 2012
- Age at diagnosis: 53
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