Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell dyscrasia characterized by the proliferation of malignant cells in the bone marrow (Porth, 2009). Also known as plasma cell myeloma, myelomatosis, medullary plasmacytosis, or Kahler disease, MM results from the development of a monoclonal immunoglobulin (called M protein), a monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain, or both (Ferreira, 2013). Patients with MM may present with a wide range of signs and symptoms including bone fractures, anemia, and kidney damage or no symptoms at all (Lobban & Perkins, 2013). This creates a diagnostic challenge for clinicians as many of these conditions are benign in etiology (Lobban & Perkins, 2013). Individual variations among patients with this diagnosis also contribute to a complex treatment plan that may include chemotherapy, stem cell transplant, and supportive care for comorbidities (Lobban & Perkins, 2013). There is no cure for MM, but recent advances in treatment modalities have been shown to prolong survival and improve quality of life (Lobban & Perkins, 2013). MM is the second most common blood cancer and the most common primary bone cancer (Kaufman, 2007). It represents 10% of all hematological malignancies and 1% of all tumors (Porth, 2009). It occurs most frequently in people over the age of 60, with an average diagnosis between the ages of 65 and 68 (Kaufman, 2007). Only 2% of MM cases are identified in patients younger than 40 years and 5% in patients younger than 50 years (Kelly, Meenaghan, & Dowling, 2010). The incidence of MM is higher in men than in women and twice as common in African Americans than Caucasians (Ferreira, 2013). There also appears to be a familial connection as the risk of MM is 3.7 times greater... middle of paper...... Myeloma: Making sense of a complex blood cancer. British Journal of Nursing, 19(22), 1415-1421.Lobban, L. & Perkins, S. (2013). Role of the nurse specialist in the care of patients with myeloma. Nursing Standard, 28(5), 37-41.Porth, C. M. (2009). Disorders of white blood cells and lymphoid tissues. In C. M. Porth and G. Matfin (Eds.), Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States, (8th ed., pp. 301-321). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Seiter, K. & Shah, D. (2013). Differential diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Medscape. Retrieved from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/204369-differentialSommer, C. (2009). Innate and adaptive immunity. In C. M. Porth and G. Matfin (Eds.), Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States, (8th ed., pp. 347-376). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.