How Are Patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) Diagnosed and Staged?
A nurse practitioner and two hematologic oncologists outline diagnosis and staging practices for patients with multiple myeloma.
This is a video synopsis/summary of a Between the Lines series featuring Donna Catamero, ANP-BC, OCN, CCRC; Cesar Rodriguez, MD; and Saad Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP.
Rodriguez discusses how multiple myeloma (MM) is diagnosed and staged. Diagnosis involves blood work such as complete blood count to check hemoglobin, comprehensive metabolic panel to assess renal function and calcium level, serum protein electrophoresis to identify abnormal immunoglobulins (M protein), immunofixation electrophoresis, and serum free light chains to evaluate M protein fragments. These data indicate whether abnormal proteins from myeloma cells are present and their type, quantity, and integrity. Additional blood tests such as lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), β2 microglobulin, and albumin facilitate staging. Urine studies check for free light chains or Bence-Jones proteins. Imaging such as PET-CT identifies lytic bone lesions and extramedullary plasmacytomas. Alternative imaging includes low-dose contrast-enhanced CT or whole-body MRI. Bone marrow biopsy results from the iliac crest or from plasmacytomas characterize disease, and staging uses cytogenetics, albumin, β2 microglobulin, and LDH.
Video synopsis is AI generated and reviewed by CancerNetwork® editorial staff.
