Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley is beginning treatment for a type of cancer called multiple myeloma, a blood disease of white blood cells called plasma cells.
Doctor Jane Liesveld is a professor at University of Rochester's Medical Center. Liesveld says the disease is relatively uncommon, affecting less than one percent of all cancer patients, but no two patients are exactly the same.
"There are some patients who are asymptomatic and are diagnosed with a simple urine or blood test that may be done incidentally. There are others that may present with bone pain or fatigue."
Cancerous plasma cells may also produce an abundance of antibody proteins, which could cause kidney problems. These proteins could also cause complications of the neurological system, Liesveld says.
Treatment for multiple myeloma, Liesveld says, is usually some form of chemotherapy that attacks the plasma cells, as opposed to surgery or radiation.
"In general this is a disease that requires a medical treatment that's going to be able to treat the entire patient."
Multiple myeloma is treated as a chronic illness because there is no cure. District Attorney Doorley says she will continue to fulfill her responsibilities as she undergoes treatment at the Wilmot Cancer Institute.
