Plasma cell dyscrasia is a rare cancer of plasma cells, often caused by exposure to radiation or chemicals. Symptoms include anemia, fatigue, and bleeding. Treatment involves chemotherapy and possibly a bone marrow transplant, but the cancer may recur. Patients should discuss treatment options with multiple oncologists.
Plasma cell dyscrasia is a cancer of the plasma cells, of which multiple myeloma is a well-known example. In patients with this type of cancer, a rogue plasma cell begins to reproduce uncontrollably, leading to changes in blood chemistry and causing symptoms such as anemia and fatigue. Treatment for plasma cell dyscrasias usually involves chemotherapy to kill the cells and may require a bone marrow transplant to provide the patient with new marrow so she can start producing healthy cells.
These cancers are rare and tend to be more common among people exposed to radiation or dangerous agricultural chemicals. Patients may experience symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, vomiting, excessive bleeding, and headaches. A doctor may order blood tests and will notice anemia, abnormal levels of blood plasma, and unusually high levels of certain immunoglobulins. These compounds are the products of rogue cells and the body has no way of keeping them in check.
The doctor can use several blood tests as well as imaging studies to learn more about what is happening inside the patient’s body and to determine what type of plasma cell dyscrasia the patient has. A pathologist will examine the patient samples. The first step in treatment is to develop an appropriate chemotherapy regimen and see how the patient responds. Medications or dosages may need to be changed if the patient’s cancer is unresponsive or if the patient experiences severe side effects.
With some types of plasma cell dyscrasia, a bone marrow transplant is also necessary. This can be an exhausting process for the patient. First, the patient receives radiation therapy to kill all existing bone marrow in the body. This exposes the patient to serious health risks because it essentially shuts down the immune system and it is usually necessary to stay in the hospital. Then, a doctor can implant the donor marrow and wait for it to start making new blood cells. Sometimes the cancer comes back after a bone marrow transplant, making it necessary to have regular checkups to look for early signs of recurrence.
When a patient receives a diagnosis of plasma cell dyscrasia, it can help to discuss the situation with several oncologists. They can discuss different approaches to treatment and how they would handle the case to give the patient an idea of the options available. It is important to consider the pros and cons of different treatments and to be aware that with some types of plasma cell dyscrasia treatment, once patients begin, they cannot actually stop without risk of serious disease.
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