Multiple Myeloma

[Pippapot]

I have had ET for 6 years and was diagnosed yesterday with Multiple Myeloma. I had been getting increased joint and bone pain and fractured a vertebrae a few weeks ago.Are these 2 diseases linked or am I just unlucky to have 2 different cancers?

[hunter5582]

Sorry to hear about the multiple myeloma leading to a vertebral fracture. There is no known link between MPN and MM that I am aware of. There are some theories about these hematologic malignancies clustering in families. There is also some evidence that people with MPNs may be at higher risk for secondary cancers. Note that these issues are under active investigation but there are no clear conclusions at this point.

My brother had the same thing happen due to a grade 4 lymphoma, My other brother was treated for a grade 3 abdominal lymphoma. Both do not have a MPN. My daughter is JAK2+ and is currently diagnosed with ET. I am JAK2+ with ET that progressed to PV. There is also a family history of other family members having lymphoma. We are participating in one of the Familial MPN Studies.

At this point, I think most doctors would say that you just got unlucky. It is very reasonable to think that there may be a connection between these two hematologic disorders, but there is no proof.

Wishing you success moving forward. Please let us know what you learn.

[Pippapot in reply to hunter5582]

Thank you Hunter for your reply. Sorry that so many of your family are affected. Interesting to know if they find any familial trends with the studies,or connections with these disorders.