What is myeloma?
Myeloma is a cancer that starts in the blood. It affects a type of white blood cell made in your bone marrow (the soft part inside your bones). These cells are meant to help you fight infections.
Sometimes, these cells start to grow in the wrong way and make too many unhealthy cells. This can stop your body making normal blood cells and can affect your bones too. Myeloma can make you feel unwell in different ways, like feeling very tired or getting infections more often.
Finding myeloma early can make it easier to treat. Myeloma can happen to anyone, but it is more common as people get older.
Myeloma usually develops because of a mix of things over time. Often, there is no one clear cause.
Things that can play a part include:
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Getting older, myeloma is more common in later life
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Myeloma in the family, this is uncommon, but can slightly increase risk
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Being overweight
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Certain health conditions that affect the blood or immune system
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A condition called MGUS. This is a common, usually harmless blood change that can sometimes develop into myeloma.
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Your background, myeloma is more common in men and in people from Black ethnic backgrounds
Having one or more of these does not mean someone will get myeloma, it just means the chance may be a bit higher.
You don’t need to panic, just notice what’s normal for you. Many of these symptoms can be caused by everyday problems, but it’s sensible to get them checked if they don’t go away or feel unusual for you.
Here are some things to look out for with myeloma:
- Bone pain that doesn’t go away, often in the back, ribs, hips, or shoulders
- Pain in your bones that wakes you at night, or is getting worse
- Feeling very tired or weak more than usual, for no clear reason
- Getting infections more often, or taking longer than usual to get better
- Bruising or bleeding more easily than normal, such as frequent nosebleeds or bleeding gums
- Feeling short of breath, especially doing things that used to be easy
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling very thirsty, peeing more than usual, or feeling sick / constipated. These can happen for lots of reasons, but are worth checking if they carry on
- Swelling in your ankles / feet or generally feeling “puffy”, again, lots of possible causes, but get it checked
When to get advice
If you’ve had symptoms like these most days for 3 weeks, or they’re getting worse, it’s a good idea to contact your GP practice.
Tests and next steps for myeloma - NHS
For more information you can visit any of the links below.
Last reviewed: January 2026