THUNDER BAY – At present, nine provinces recognize March as Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month.
Ontario isn’t one of them and Gordon Milne would like to see that change.
The retired family physician was diagnosed with the incurable cancer a dozen years ago.
A bone-marrow transplant sent him into remission, monthly chemotherapy sessions also helping keep the disease at bay.
It returned a couple of years ago, and the 77-year-old Milne said he’s in remission once again, but the disease appears to be on the rise.
Symptoms aren’t easy to detect. Some advanced blood work led to his diagnosis in 2012, but had that not taken place, there’s a good chance Milne wouldn’t be around now to tell his story.
“Myeloma doesn’t get much attention, because it’s not a very common cancer,” Milne said. “There are several people in Thunder Bay every year who do develop the disease and several people die of it every year. It’s hopefully going to become more known in the community.”
Early diagnosis, like with all cancers, is key to treatment and survivability.
Milne said on average, 11 people in Canada are diagnosed with multiple myeloma every single day. ‘
“This number has been steadily rising for over 15 years. According to a recent Statistics Canada report, the incidence of myeloma is now increasing at a higher rate than any other type of cancer for males, and at the second highest rate for females,” Milne said.
According to Myeloma Canada, myeloma isn’t one disease, but one with several sub-types, and involves abnormal plasma cells producing high numbers of only one type of antibodies. Symptoms can include one ore more of calcium elevation in the blood, kidney failure, anemia or bone disease, including a greater risk of fractures.
Milne said the more people are aware of multiple myeloma and its symptoms, the more likely they might realize something could be seriously wrong, and not just brush it off as aches and pains.
‘We’ve sent letters to our local MPPs and the government,” Milne said. “I think it will bring a little more attention to the disease and hopefully make more people aware of the different things that are going on in relation to the disease, for example, the annual walk for myeloma, which does raise a lot of funds to try to help more studies to be performed.”
Milne said he would like to see all province and territories recognize March as Multiple Myeloma Awareness Month.
