Multiple Myeloma Methods and Protocols - Essay Example

?Haematology Case Study Assignment Haematology Case Study Assignment Disease and its Many people often suffer from different malignant bone tumors. The malignant bone tumors usually form a group of lesions that differ in their behavior and tissue makeups. Moreover, they range from locally aggressive tumors that never metabolize to high grade sarcomas that often demonstrate poor prognosis. Malignant bone tumors usually affect all ages and barely all bone sites. Moreover, there are numerous malignant bone tumors with each having specific diagnosis and critical method of treatments (Anderson and Ghobrial, 2008; p. 12). Therefore, it is vital that each malignant growth is given an accurate diagnostic test since the treatments are intensively aggressive in nature and may involve more than one treatment method. The commonly applied treatment methods to the malignant bone tumor diseases include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery or resection as well as the bone marrow/stem cell transplants. Following the diagnostic results and the treatment of the 57 years old woman in the Haematology case study, it is apparent that the patient or woman is suffering from a malignant bone tumor specifically known as the multiple myeloma (MO?hler, 2011; p. 94). The multiple myeloma is a malignant tumor that affects the plasma cells. It is a tumor that intensely affects older ages. It is often rare among children and the middle age. It usually affects the entire bone marrow and it usually occurs in multiple sites throughout the skeleton. However, in some cases, it may present itself as a single bone lesion known as the plasmacytoma. This disease can affect any bone; however, the commonly affected include the spine, skull, ribs, and pelvis as well as the proximal long bones. Patients who are often affected by this type of malignant bone tumor often complain of bone pain with history of fatigue, weight loss, fever, and anemia. The fracture of bone may be located by the use of X-rays radiation (Gertz and Greipp, 2004; p. 46). The X-ray may also be used to identify widespread osteoporosis or holes or small punctures in the skeleton that may result into wide areas due to thinning of the cortex. Numerous bones plain x-rays or the skeletal survey is often incorporated in the diagnoses of multiple myetoma since scan may not indicate or locate all the tumor sites. Biopsy is not essential for patients suffering from the myeloma; however, if it is conducted on them, there may be an indication the tissue containing sheets of plasma cells. Notably, blood tests are often critical and quite helpful in establishing the diagnosis (Anderson and Ghobrial, 2008; p. 182). More than ninety percent of patients suffer from myeloma usually have a high rate of sedimentation and anemia. Additionally, in some cases, the calcium level is usually elevated especially to those who have had extensive bone disease. Profiling of the immunoglobins is effective through the blood test immunoelctrophoresis (IEP) that is profound in demonstrating any abnormal ‘g component’ or the myeloma protein that is usually about ninety percent in patient suffering from myeloma. As in the case of the 57 years old patient, the immunoelectrophoresis study of the urine is likely to be over sixty percent positive. In fact, this is conformed through the bone marrow biopsy. In the normal conditions, the human bone marrow often contains a small quantity of the plasma cells is not the case in the old woman’s clinical diagnostic results (Gertz and Greipp, 2004; p. 102). Therefore, the indication of over eighty percent ? or the plasma cells is an indication that there is an immense likelihood of myeloma. Naturally, the plasma cells test results confidently confirm that the old woman is suffering from melanoma. Additionally, to confirm that the 57 years old patient is suffering from melanoma, the immediate treatments followed the treatments that myeloma often respond to efficiently. The woman was subjected to radiation because radiation often responds effectively to the myeloma therapy. Notably, the radiation often aims at relieving the patient from the server bone pains. The weakened areas or the fractured bones are often treated with external fixations of metallic hardware including rods, pins, screws, plates, and bone grafting as well as the use of cement where applicable. Finally, the other mode of treatment that the patient was subject to was the chemotherapy. There are new forms of chemotherapies and bone marrow transplantation that have been deduced as forms treating patients suffering from multiple myeloma (Brown and Ho, 2005; p. 119). Therefore, it is evident that the 57 years old woman in the case study was suffering from the disease described herein since her lab report and immediate treatments followed the disease symptoms and other modes of treatment of the same disease. Clinical and Laboratory Data the Pathophysiology of Multiple Myeloma Since the year 2003, the International Myeloma set and agreed on the diagnostic methods and criteria for the asymptomatic myeloma, symptomatic myeloma, and the Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS). The same criteria were updated in the year 2009 and apparently most of them were applied in diagnosing the old woman’s medical condition (Gertz and Greipp, 2004; p. 132). Notably, doctors have become more familiar and conversant with numerous symptoms of diseases; therefore, the physiological and cultural symptoms of the patients often lead doctors to suggest specific clinical and laboratory tests that a particular patient should take. Cancers are related to severe pain due to the increased tumor compression that leads to inflammation of tissues; thus, it is appropriate that the patient was subjected to the diagnoses as represented in the clinical and laboratory data report. The diagnosis that followed the symptomatic myeloma was the testing of the clonal plasma cell that resulted to over ten percent on the bone marrow biopsy. The essence of the monoclonal protein or the paraprotein in either urine or serum is quantitatively specify the disease. The latter is cannot be applied in the case of true secretory myeloma and as in the clinical report, it was not mentioned since the quality or the stage of the disease had not yet be identified. Additionally, the plasma cell disorder diagnosis was used to identify end damage organs specifically those that are related to the plasma. This was done by testing the amount of calcium in the patient’s body (corrected calcium >2.75 mmol/L) and hemoglobin with the correct amount expected to at (hemoglobin 10g/dL Serum paraprotein level < 5 g/dL when IgG, < 3 g/dL or IgA Urinary light chain excretion < 4 g/24h Patients suffering Stage II myeloma are expected to display criteria of neither stageI or II Stage III symptoms Hb < 8.5g/dL High calcium > 12 mg/DL Three or more lytic bone lesions following skeletal survey Urinary limited, small or light chain excretion > 12g/24h Therefore, according to the clinical and laboratory report of the case, following either sytems of myeloma staging, it is apparent the old woman was suffering from stage I myeloma disorder. Possible Treatment Modalities for Multiple Myeloma There are usually many ways of treating multiple myloma; however, the better options including the induction therapy, harvest stem cells, stem cell and allogeneic transplantation, and the after SCT. The therapy is the initial therapy treatment of the multiple myeloma. The induction therapy usually uses various drugs and it is advisable that persons under the age of 70 (as the patient in the case) follow autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT) immediately after the therapy (Brown and Ho, 2005; p. 214). It should be noted that SCT involves that removal of the patient’s stem cells that are often frozen and stored (Heller, 2005). The procedures of the induction therapy are well known by doctors who have specialized in the same area. Notably, after the SCT, the patient is usually guided through maintenance therapy that often lasts for two years while using Thalidomide plus oral melphalan or the lenalidomide among other chemotherapy drugs (Anderson, Richardson and Ghobrial, 2010; p. 79). Other than the chemotherapy, multiple myeloma patients may undertake the radiation therapy that uses high radiation energy to damage or kill the myeloma cells thereby stopping their growth. Despite the existence of numerous treatment techniques, patient should often seek their doctors’ advice for the better treatments to undertake for their multiple myeloma treatments. Others a. b. c a. Indicates different parts of the body the multiple myeloma often spreads b. The myeloma of the skull c. The myeloma of the pelvis References Anderson, K. C., & Ghobrial, I. M. (2008). Multiple myeloma: translational and emerging therapies. New York, NY, Informa Healthcare. Anderson, K. C., Richardson, P. G., & Ghobrial, I. M. (2010). Bortezomib in the treatment of multiple myeloma. Basel, Springer. Brown, R. D., & Ho, P. J. (2005). Multiple myeloma methods and protocols. Totowa, N.J., Humana Press. Gertz, M. A., & Greipp, P. R. (2004). Hematologic malignancies Multiple myeloma and related plasma cell disorders. Berlin, Springer. Heller, R. J. (2005). Multiple Myeloma: the plain English handbook for patients and care givers. Marietta, Ga, Wollaston Press. Kumar, S. (2010). Multiple myeloma. New York, Demos Medical. MO?hler, T. (2011). Multiple Myeloma. Heidelberg [u.a.], Springer. Read More