European Myeloma Day

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells -- white blood cells that make antibodies. A cancerous or malignant plasma cell is called a myeloma cell. Myeloma is called “multiple” because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. It can appear as both a tumor and/or an area of bone loss, and it affects the places where bone marrow is active in an adult: the hollow area within the bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and the areas around the shoulders and hips.

To raise awareness about myeloma and highlight the most important issues for European patients, as well as generate data and discuss solutions, Myeloma Patients Europe (MPE) launched the first-ever European Myeloma Day on 27 September.

The current focus is on diagnosis and the consequences and the impact of delays in detecting myeloma on time. Early diagnosis of myeloma has been shown to minimise disease complications and improve quality of life. Yet, existing literature on myeloma and testaments from patients highlights that many patients experience delays, often due to non-specific symptoms, lack of myeloma awareness in primary care or other causes.