What's the difference between myeloma in an organ versus blood cancer?
Multiple myeloma is actually a type of blood cancer itself. It starts in your bone marrow where blood cells are made, specifically affecting plasma cells (a type of white blood cell).
When myeloma develops, the cancerous plasma cells grow abnormally in Show Full Answer
What's the difference between myeloma in an organ versus blood cancer?
Multiple myeloma is actually a type of blood cancer itself. It starts in your bone marrow where blood cells are made, specifically affecting plasma cells (a type of white blood cell).
When myeloma develops, the cancerous plasma cells grow abnormally in the bone marrow and can crowd out healthy blood cells. These abnormal cells produce too many antibody proteins that enter your bloodstream.
While myeloma originates in the bone marrow, it can affect other organs. This happens when:
- Myeloma cells form tumors in bones
- Abnormal proteins damage organs like the kidneys
- The cancer spreads beyond the bone marrow
So myeloma in an organ and having blood cancer aren't separate conditions - they're the same disease showing up in different ways. Your CKD 3 (chronic kidney disease stage 3) is actually a common complication of myeloma. About half of people with myeloma develop kidney problems because the excess proteins produced by myeloma cells can clog and damage kidney tissue.
You have one cancer (multiple myeloma, which is a blood cancer) that has affected your kidneys as a complication, not multiple separate cancers.
November 12, 2025
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