NBC says Tom Brokaw was diagnosed in August 2013 with multiple myeloma, a cancer affecting blood cells in the bone marrow. AP

Veteran newsmanTom Brokaws multiple myeloma diagnosis draws attention to an incurable cancer that researchers have made great strides in treating.

Before chemotherapy treatment for multiple myeloma was introduced in the 1950s, patients lived about one year after diagnosis, Dr. Frederic Reu, an associate staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic who specializes in blood cancers, explained to CBS News. Now, better treatments including stem cell transplants and non- chemotherapy medications that better target cancer cells can prolong life about seven to 10 years or longer after a diagnosis.

Brokaw, the 74-year-old former anchor of the NBC Nightly News, said in a statement that doctors are optimistic about his prognosis.

"With the exceptional support of my family, medical team and friends, I am very optimistic about the future and look forward to continuing my life, my work and adventures still to come," he said.

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In an interview in 2007 on The Early Show, Geraldine Ferraro discussed battling multiple myeloma, which she passed away from Saturday after a 12 ...

However, changes in DNA beyond our control might allow the cells to become cancerous myeloma cells, which then disrupt other areas throughout the body including the bones, kidneys, intestines and overall immune system.

Symptoms may include bone pain, fractures following minor trauma, anemia, weakness, fatigue, frequent infections, dehydration and frequent thirst, kidney failure and tumor growth.

These are the problems that indicate that the myeloma requires treatment, Reu explained.

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Tom Brokaw's multiple myeloma spotlights incurable cancer

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