* What is multiple myeloma?
A rare, life-threatening cancer of the bone marrow in which malignant plasma cells interfere with the growth of red and white blood cells.
* How common is it?
It affects only about 50,000 Americans. But it is very deadly – only about 28 percent of all patients live more than five years.
* Who’s most at risk?
It usually strikes people over the age of 60. African-Americans are twice as likely to have it than the general population, and people who have been exposed to radiation or fertilizers seem to have a higher risk.
* What are the symptoms?
Bone pain, most often in the spine, and brittle bones that fracture easily.
* What are the treatments?
Stem-cell transplant and chemotherapy combined with using the steroid Prednisone. Both treatments are often given in conjunction with the bone-strengthening drug Aredia.
Studies also have shown some success using thalidomide to treat the disease, and researchers are also attempting to develop a multiple-myeloma vaccine.