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Treatment Options for Multiple Myeloma
Plasmapheresis for Multiple Myeloma
This procedure is used primarily for the immunoglobulin M myeloma (Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia). Plasmapheresis involves removing blood from the patient's vein, separating the cells from the plasma, and then reinfusing the blood cells back into the patient's bloodstream using saline or another suitable plasma substitute. Plasmapheresis removes the abnormal antibody proteins produced by the myeloma cells that are in the plasma. While plasmapheresis does not kill the myeloma cells, it helps to reduce complications caused by impaired circulation due to the thickening of the blood that the antibody proteins can cause.
