Once known to be a dreaded disease with a short lifespan, patients with multiple myeloma now have better treatment outcomes with medical advancements like bone marrow transplant, immunotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy, said health experts on Wednesday.

Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that arises from plasma cells -- a type of cell normally present in the bone marrow and blood in small numbers. Their function is to produce antibodies that fight against infections. But, when these cells start dividing uncontrollably and spread abnormally in the body, it leads to multiple myeloma.