Plasmacytoma is a cancerous tumor that forms in plasma cells, which produce antibodies. It can occur in bone marrow or soft tissue and can spread to other bones to become multiple myeloma. Treatment includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, and prognosis depends on the stage and response to treatment. Multiple myeloma can cause bone pain, fatigue, and recurring infections, and treatment is usually initiated when symptoms worsen.
A plasmacytoma is a malignant plasma cell tumor. Plasmacytoma usually occurs when the cancer begins in plasma cells, or white blood cells, which produce antibodies. Malignant plasma cells typically do not die off as they should, but instead accumulate and form a tumor known as a plasmacytoma. These tumors usually form in the bone marrow or soft tissue such as the esophagus. Bone plasmacytoma can spread to other bones and become multiple myeloma.
Plasma cells are a vital part of the immune system because they produce the antibodies that offer immunity to disease. The typical immune system has a different type of plasma cell for each type of antibody produced. Healthy plasma cells typically age and die to be replaced by new cells. When plasma cell cancer occurs, new cells can form too quickly and old cells can live too long. The presence of excess plasma cells in the body can lead to the development of a tumor in the bone marrow or extramedullary tissues.
Extramedullary tissues are the soft tissues of the sinuses, throat and esophagus. When plasmacytomas form in extramedullary tissues, they can typically be cured with a combination of surgery and radiation or chemotherapy. Bone plasmacytoma is typically treated with radiation therapy. These tumors can be diagnosed through blood tests, urinalysis, X-rays and biopsy.
The prognosis depends on the stage of the cancer, the patient’s general health, age, and the cancer’s response to treatment. Cancer is staged depending on whether it occurs in the extramedullary tissues or in a single bone. An isolated plasmacytoma occurs in the bone marrow of a bone, occupies no more than five percent of that bone’s marrow, and causes no obvious symptoms of cancer. An extramedullary plasmacytoma occurs in the soft tissue of the throat, esophagus, or sinuses and not in the bone. The prognosis for extramedullary plasmacytoma is usually better than that for isolated plasmacytoma.
When cancer spreads to multiple bones, the resulting condition is usually known as multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma can be a slow-growing cancer that causes no symptoms for years. Multiple myeloma can impair the bone marrow’s ability to produce an adequate supply of blood cells. Symptoms can include bone pain, fatigue, recurring infections, and bones that break easily.
Multiple myeloma can be difficult to treat. Patients in the early stages of the disease are often monitored without treatment. Treatment usually begins when symptoms become more severe.
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