Congratulations Dr. Naghmeh!
We’d like to extend our congratulations to Dr. Naghmeh Mirhosseini ND on her recently published review on Multiple Myeloma, in Current Oncology!
What is Multiple Myeloma?
Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a cancer that starts in plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell that makes antibodies to help our body fight infection. These plasma cells are found mainly in bone marrow, which is the soft, spongy tissue inside most bones where many types of blood cells are made. Cancer forms when abnormal plasma cells begin to divide uncontrollably and make more abnormal plasma cells. This makes it hard for other blood cells in the bone marrow to develop and work normally, which might cause anemia and fatigue because there are fewer red blood cells.
The myeloma cells (cancer cells) make a substance that leads to bone damage and high levels of calcium in the blood. Myeloma cells also make abnormal proteins that can affect other organs such as the kidneys. Patients usually come with bone pain and osteoporosis, recurrent infections, anemia and fatigue, headache, kidney dysfunction and hypercalcemia.
What is the Role of Vitamin D in Multiple Myeloma?
MM is an incurable cancer and is usually treated with a combination of a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent, and dexamethasone. This combination is associated with a median progression-free survival of 41 months. Our recently published scoping review has shown that Vitamin D deficiency is very prevalent among these patients. Vitamin D supplementation and obtaining a consistent level of vitamin D in the blood might increase survival rate and quality of life, as well as reduce disease progression. So, vitamin D deficiency screening and proper supplementation is highly recommend for the patients diagnosed with MM.
Mirhosseini N, Psihogios A, McLaren MD, Seely D. Vitamin D and Multiple Myeloma: A Scoping Review. Curr Oncol. 2023 Mar 11;30(3):3263-3276. doi: 10.3390/curroncol30030248. PMID: 36975461; PMCID: PMC10047650.
