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Treatment Options for Extramedullary Plasmacytoma
Source: Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 25, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
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Context: Treatment of Extramedullary Plasmacytoma
Treatment options for extramedullary plasmacytoma include:
Radiation therapy to the isolated lesion with fields that cover the regional lymph nodes, if possible.[1,2]
In some cases, surgical resection may be considered, but it is usually followed by radiation therapy.[2]
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If the presence of monoclonal (or myeloma) protein (M protein) persists or reappears, the patient may need further radiation therapy. In some patients, the plasmacytoma may shrink, but not disappear, and the M protein persists. Close follow-up is generally warranted for these patients. Surgery is often performed if the plasmacytoma is in a site where it can be removed easily (e.g., in the tonsil); the M protein may disappear from the blood or urine. In other cases, persistence or an increasing M protein may herald progression to multiple myeloma.
Chemotherapy is required if the disease progresses and causes symptoms.
Patients with isolated plasma cell tumors of soft tissues, most commonly occurring in the tonsils, nasopharynx, or paranasal sinuses, may need to have skeletal x-rays and bone marrow biopsy (both of which are most often negative) and evaluation for M protein in serum and urine.[1-4]
About 25% of patients have serum and/or urine M protein; this frequently disappears after adequate radiation.
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Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice