Multiple Myeloma Basics

What is Multiple Myeloma?

Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer or cancer of the plasma cells.

Your immune system is made up of different cells (including plasma cells) that work together to fight infections and other diseases. Plasma cells are an important part of your immune system that make antibodies, which help the body fight infection. Plasma cells can be found in your bone marrow, which is the sponge-like center within some bones.

Multiple myeloma is when healthy plasma cells change and grow out of control, which can lead to multiple bone lesions that can increase the risk of bone fractures. More than one plasma cell tumor is called multiple myeloma.