Myeloma Awareness Month

March is International Myeloma Awareness Month.

9 Canadians are diagnosed with multiple myeloma every DAY.

Multiple Myeloma is not a skin cancer. Rather, it is a rare incurable blood cancer of the plasma cells with devastating symptoms that include bone thinning and lesions causing bone pain, spontaneous fractures, and paralyzing spinal cord compressions.

Patients who are diagnosed at an early stage generally have a better prognosis; however, almost all patients are diagnosed after the cancer has progressed to a more advanced stage.

Diagnosing Multiple Myeloma is rarely simple and sometimes takes months, if not years. As an early diagnosis is an important factor in outcomes and survival, one of the goals at the Southern Alberta Patient Society (SAMPS) is to help promote awareness of this disease. SAMPS provides support to Myeloma patients, their caregivers, families, and friends by providing information related to Myeloma through newsletters, webinars, social media channels, conferences, and social events.

Please visit www.samps.ca for more information.

Multiple Myeloma Facts:

• Approximately 3,400 Canadians were diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2020
• Most people with multiple myeloma are 45 or older
• more than half are 65 or older
• Myeloma is more common in men
• Myeloma causes bone pain, fractures, and kidney failure
• Some people can go for years without having symptoms
• The cause(s) of myeloma remains unknown
• There is no cure for myeloma, but it is controllable in most people
• Advancements in research and treatment enable those impacted by myeloma to live better and longer lives