Bruce Springsteen’s wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa recently revealed that she was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer in 2018. multiple myeloma,
He revealed his illness in the documentary “Road Diaries: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band,” which premiered Sept. 8 at the Toronto Film Festival.
This production gives a peek behind the scenes famous musician and with the longtime band during their latest tour.
Bruce Springsteen’s wife confirmed to have blood cancer
“It affects my immune system, so I have to be careful about what I do and where I go,” Scialfa, 71, said when discussing her illness in the film.
Bruce Springsteen’s wife and E Street Band member Patti Scialfa recently revealed that she was diagnosed with a blood cancer called multiple myeloma in 2018. (Getty Images)
She further added, “Occasionally I come to a show or two and sing a few songs on stage, and it is a pleasant experience for me.”
Scialfa joined the E Street Band just before the 1984 “Born in the USA” tour. She later married Springsteen in 1991 and was added to the band. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Scialfa for comment.
What is multiple myeloma?
Multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow cells, is diagnosed in more than 35,000 people in the U.S. each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Plasma cells develop in the bone marrow, which has been described as the “factory” of blood.
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one of healthy personAccording to Dr. Christina Gasparetto, professor of medicine and hematologic oncologist at Duke University School of Medicine, the cells produce proteins called antibodies, which act against germs to fight infection.
Multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells begin to grow “out of control,” the ACS says.
According to the American Cancer Society, multiple myeloma occurs when plasma cells begin to grow “out of control.” (iStock)
This causes abnormal antibodies to be released in the blood, which can damage bones and other organs.
“(The disease) is called ‘multiple’ because there are often multiple patches or areas in the bone where it grows,” said Dr. Joseph Mikhail, chief medical officer for the International Myeloma Foundation. in Californiatold Fox News Digital.
Symptoms of the disease
“Most of the signs and symptoms of myeloma are common, with the top three being Extreme Fatigue“This can cause problems like bone pain and anemia,” Mikhel said.
However, some patients have no symptoms at the time of diagnosis.
Experts say the most common symptoms can be summed up in the acronym “CRAB,” which stands for high levels of calcium in the blood, renal (or kidney) insufficiency, anemia and bone destruction.
Experts say the top three symptoms of the disease are extreme fatigue, bone pain, and anemia.
Bone pain is a hallmark of the disease, Gasparetto told Fox News Digital, because myeloma cells grow within bones, which can cause calcium levels in the blood to rise.
“Symptoms of high calcium include increased thirst, dehydration, fatigue, Muscle pain And sometimes, confusion also arises,” he added.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 35,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with multiple myeloma each year. (iStock)
Antibodies produced by the myeloma cells are excreted through the kidneys, causing obstruction and/or direct damage to the organs.
“The patient will experience foamy urine, due to the presence of abundant amounts of an (abnormal) protein, called Bence-Jones proteinuria,” Gasparetto said.
Diagnostic methods
Experts told Fox News Digital that the first step is usually to perform specific blood and urine tests that detect abnormally high protein levels excreted by tumor cells — often referred to as the “M spike.”
“We measure this protein Time of diagnosis“To assess response during therapy, and to monitor for progression or recurrence thereafter,” Gasparetto said.
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Bone pain may also require imaging, which can reveal skeletal abnormalities.
The preliminary results are then confirmed with a bone aspiration and biopsy.
“In a bone marrow aspiration we remove a small amount of fluid from the bone marrow, and in a bone marrow biopsy we remove a small piece of bone,” Gasparetto said.
Experts say myeloma doesn’t typically run in families, but the incidence does increase slightly when a family member has the disease. (iStock)
A pathologist then analyzes the sample to determine the cause of the disease. severity of the disease,
Experts told Fox News Digital that the final diagnosis is based on a combination of all of these tests — blood tests, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, imaging studies and urine analysis.
Risk factors of the disease
Myeloma doesn’t typically run in families, but its incidence does increase slightly when a family member has the disease, Mikhail told Fox News Digital.
“In the vast majority of cases, we don’t know the cause of myeloma.”
In many cases this could be the reason Random genetic mutations Experts say these problems tend to occur later in life.
“In the vast majority of cases, we don’t know the cause of myeloma,” Mikhail said. “It becomes more common as people age, with the average age of diagnosis being about 69 years.”
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African-American and Latino American patients are diagnosed at a younger age, on average about 64 or 65 years old.
According to statistics, people of African descent are twice as likely to develop myeloma.
Doctors say multiple myeloma is more common as we age, with the average age of diagnosis being around 69 years. (iStock)
Firefighters who are exposed to fire are at higher risk, Mikhail said, and other types of chemical exposure are also linked to myeloma, including Agent Orange and excessive radiation.
The risk may also be higher for people who have high blood pressure. body mass indexas well as in people who have certain blood conditions, such as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), which involves an abnormal protein in the blood without organ damage caused by multiple myeloma.
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According to Dr. Michael Szekeres, head of the hematology department at Sylvester Cancer Center, multiple myeloma cannot be prevented in most cases. University of Miami,
Treatment Options
The American Cancer Society recommends that Myeloma patients Meet an oncologist for a personalized treatment plan based on your age, overall health, and severity of disease.
Some treatments may include medications called monoclonal antibodies and immune modulating agents, which boost the immune system to help the body fight cancer.
“Multiple myeloma can also be treated with chemotherapy – the drug can be given three or four times a day for a few months, followed by maintenance therapy,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Multiple myeloma can also be treated with chemotherapy — the drug can be given three or four times a day for a few months, followed by maintenance therapy,” Szekeres told Fox News Digital.
Eligible patients can undergo bone marrow testing (algorithm).stem cells(The doctor said that transplantation can result in long-term disease remission.
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According to Mikhail, cancer is not curable with conventional treatments, but most patients respond well to treatment.
“The average survival rate 20 years ago was one or two years, but now it’s over 10 years,” he said.
