Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It is a cancer of the plasma cells. These cells cause destruction of bone, resulting in bone pain, hypercalcemia, compression, fractures, spinal cord compression, hemiparesis, and paraplegia. The disease is treatable, but essentially incurable. Virtually all patients with multiple myeloma succumb to their malignancy.
Multiple myeloma is a disease of old age. The median age at diagnosis is 72. Mortality rates have been rising since the 1950s. The increase in the incidence of multiple myeloma was among the highest for any cancer during this period. Approximately 12,000 new cases are diagnosed annually.
The causal association between benzene and multiple myeloma is vigorously disputed by the petrochemical industry, but studies have shown a statistically significant link between them. The most persuasive epidemiologic study regarding the association between benzene and multiple myeloma is the ongoing study of the Australian petroleum industry by researchers at the University of Melbourne.