Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program

Why Choose Us?

We offer every patient a dedicated team of medical experts to support them, and their family, throughout their cancer journey. The multidisciplinary team meets daily to discuss each patient’s needs, their progress and to decide the best treatment plan. This approach offers the greatest chance of disease remission and a long and healthy life.

Our program offers patients the latest technological advances in multiple myeloma and amyloidosis diagnosis and treatment, which are helping to improve outcomes for patients, providing more targeted and effective treatment options with fewer side effects.

In addition, our program remains committed to cancer research and innovation, participating in clinical trials and the development of new treatments for multiple myeloma, amyloidosis and other plasma cell disorders.

What We Treat

Multiple Myeloma is a cancer which begins in a plasma cell, a type of disease-fighting white blood cell, that usually produces antibodies to help you fight infections. In multiple myeloma, cancerous plasma cells collect in the bone marrow and produce proteins rather than antibodies, which causes complications.

The Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program treats a range of myelomas, and other plasma cell disorders including:

• Multiple Myeloma: The most common type of myeloma, which involves multiple organs of the body. 
  
• Smoldering Multiple Myeloma: A form of the disease that progresses more slowly, often with no symptoms. 
  
• Plasmacytoma: An accumulation of plasma cells in the bones, skin, muscles or lungs. 
  
• AL Amyloidosis: A build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues in the body causing organ disfunction.  
  
• Monoclonal Gammopathy: Abnormal secretions of plasma proteins in the blood. 

Symptoms, Causes & Risk Factors

Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma

Cancerous plasma cells produce abnormal proteins which cause tissue damage. The signs and symptoms can vary and sometimes, early on, there may be none.  

If they do occur, the symptoms can include:  

• Calcium elevation
• Renal insufficiency  
• Anemia  
• Bone abnormalities  
• Bone pain and/or skeletal fractures  
• Fatigue and weakness  
• Frequent infections (caused by a weak immune system). 

Always see your doctor if you notice any ongoing signs or symptoms that you are worried about.  
Doctors aren’t sure what causes multiple myeloma, but they know that it begins with an abnormal plasma cell within your bone marrow. Over time, they accumulate and produce abnormal antibodies, (called monoclonal proteins, or M proteins) which the body can’t use, leading to problems such as damage to the bones or kidneys.  

Multiple myeloma usually begins as a condition called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). This is marked by the presence of M proteins, but in MGUS they do not cause damage to the body. 

Symptoms of Amyloidosis

Symptoms will depend on the organ involved. It may present with symptoms of:

• Heart failure
• Kidney failure
• Abnormal blood pressure
• Racoon eyes (bruising which appears as dark circles around the eyes)
• and others.

Causes & Risk Factors of Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis

Other risk factors can include: 

• Age: Risk increases in those over 50. 
  
• Gender: Men are more at risk.  
  
• Race: People with black skin are more at risk.  
  
• Obesity: Being overweight can increase risk.  
  
• Chronic Immunodeficiency.  
  
• Inflammatory Diseases: Conditions such as cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes may increase risk.  

Diagnosis & Treatment

Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis

Multiple Myeloma is often diagnosed when a blood test is done for another medical complaint. It can also be detected if you present with some of the common signs and symptoms. Diagnosing multiple myeloma and determining which stage the disease is at, may involve the following tests and procedures: 

• Blood tests 
• Urine tests  
• Bone marrow biopsies 
• Tissue biopsies 

Imaging scans, including: 

• CT scan 
• MRI scan 
• PET scan 
• X-ray 
• Ultrasound 

Treatment of Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis

After a diagnosis has been given, the team will decide on the most effective treatment plan, based on several factors including your age, the type of cancer you have, how advanced the cancer is, as well as other factors.

Treatment might include:

• Immunotherapy: Immunotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment option for multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. This involves the use of drugs that help the body's immune system fight cancer cells. Examples of immunotherapy drugs used for multiple myeloma or amyloidosis include:
  • Monoclonal antibodies: Specifically targets and kills myeloma cells.
• Targeted therapy: Involves the use of drugs that specifically target cancer cells. This can help to minimize side effects and improve outcomes. Examples of targeted therapy drugs used for multiple myeloma and amyloidosis include proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulatory drugs.
• Chemotherapy: The use of anticancer drugs, sometimes in combination, to stop the growth of cancer cells.
• Cellular therapy: Using modified immune cells to fight cancer.
• Stem cell transplantation: Stem cell transplant has been used for decades to treat multiple myeloma and amyloidosis. However, recent advances in stem cell transplant techniques have improved outcomes and reduced side effects. For example, reduced-intensity conditioning regimens can reduce the risk of complications associated with high-dose chemotherapy.
• CAR-T Cell Therapy: A break through in cancer treatment, modifying patient's T-cells to attack cancer cells.
• Precision Medicine: The development of precision medicine techniques allows doctors to use a patient's unique genetic profile to tailor their treatment. This can help to identify the most effective drugs for an individual patient, minimizing side effects and improving outcomes.
• Radiation therapy: Given to destroy cancer cells or to relieve pain or discomfort.

Prevention & Screening

Doctors believe that very few cases of myeloma are linked to risk factors that can be avoided, meaning there is little you can do to prevent the disease developing. However, being aware of the symptoms may be helpful.  

Following a healthy lifestyle, eating a balanced diet and taking regular exercise can reduce your chances of developing many types of cancer.  

Program Caregivers

As multiple myeloma can affect many organs of the body, our Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis Program consists of a multidisciplinary team of specialists working together to treat all aspects of the disease. Caregivers involved in patient care for this program include:

• Consultant physicians in hematology and oncology 
• Pharmacists 
• Nurses 
• Pathologists 
• Radiologists 
• Radiation therapists 
• Social workers 
• Case managers 
• Physical therapists 
• Infectious diseases specialists 
• Cardiologists 
• Nephrologists 
• Patient coordinators 
• Patient educators