Can you prevent multiple myeloma

Irene Ghobrial, a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, believes that studying the molecular changes that occur as these precursor conditions advance to multiple myeloma could help researchers identify ways to stop them from progressing. Ghobrial spoke with Cancer Today about how this study could help researchers find ways to prevent precursor conditions from turning into cancer. Q: What was the catalyst for this study?

The thinking has been why screen if there is no treatment. We want to find a way to intervene early and eradicate the precursor condition, or do something that stops it from progressing, or maybe one day even find a way to reverse it.

If we can even delay progression by 10 to 20 years, we could have a huge impact on patients. Q: Why do you need to enroll 50, people? A: We are going to enroll a high-risk population between the ages of 45 and We are enrolling people with a parent, sibling or child who has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma or certain other plasma disorders and any African American in that age range.

We will follow these patients to see how their disease progresses. They can also take part in clinical trials that will test treatments that we think can stop progression. Q: How can people who are eligible take part? A: Patients nationwide can enroll by signing a consent form on the study website promisestudy. We have about 2, people who have registered and who have had their blood drawn and have sent a sample to us.

The first was a man whose son was diagnosed with myeloma who learned he has MGUS. Q: How does this study fit in with your other work? Research linking your diet and myeloma risk is relatively scarce, but general anti-cancer diets may help prevent the disease. Experts in the dietary and medical fields are still learning how your diet can raise or lower your risk of cancer, and they have found evidence for many possible connections, such as calcium providing protection from colorectal cancer , or a lower risk of lung cancer in people who eat more fruits and vegetables.

Multiple myeloma is a type of cancer that develops in cells in your immune system and forms tumors within your bone marrow. This cancer is relatively rare, with roughly 10, Americans expected to die from it in But researchers have found some evidence that certain types of foods might make you more or less likely to develop multiple myeloma, and general anti-cancer diets may help protect you from the disease. In a study, researchers asked Connecticut women with multiple myeloma and women who were free of the disease to fill out questionnaires listing how often they ate common foods.

They found that certain food items were linked with a lower risk of myeloma. These included cooked tomatoes, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts , fresh fish, and vitamin A.

On the other hand, cream soups, ice cream, and pudding were linked to a greater risk of the disease. The reasons why are unclear, although the disease appears to also be more common in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. Exposure to radiation or chemicals.

People who have been exposed to radiation or to asbestos, benzene, pesticides, and other chemicals used in rubber manufacturing may be at higher risk for developing myeloma.

People often exposed to wood products, such as carpenters, furniture makers, and paper makers, are also at higher risk. There is also a high incidence of myeloma among professional firefighters and those exposed to herbicides, including Agent Orange. Personal history.

People with a history of a solitary plasmacytoma of the bone are at greater risk for developing multiple myeloma. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance MGUS. The next section in this guide is Symptoms and Signs. It explains what body changes or medical problems multiple myeloma can cause. Use the menu to choose a different section to read in this guide. The following factors can raise a person's risk of developing myeloma: Age.

Myeloma is slightly more common in men. Types of Cancer.