10 Bone Marrow Cancer Symptoms
Symptom #5: Bone Pain
Bone pain refers to pain that originates from the bone. In bone marrow cancer it can be severe and debilitating. In multiple myeloma (MM) bone pain is the most common symptom at presentation and it is reported by roughly two-thirds of MM patients. The excessive proliferation of plasma cells in MM leads to bone destruction and subsequent replacement of its structure with the tumor. This process may cause bone pain, pathologic fractures, and spinal cord compression. Bone pain in these patients is frequently located in the lower back, long bones, pelvis, and/or skull.
On the other hand, bone pain can also occur in some types of leukemia. The accumulation of abnormal white cells in the bone marrow can lead to its expansion, manifesting as bone pain (long bones). This manifestation is common in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, where roughly twenty-five percent of patients report bone pain at the onset.
Advertisement
