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Checking for a new clone - what does it mean?
Can someone enlighten me about clones? Does this mean the myeloma changes into something else, or can a translocation change?
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brandywine - Name: brandywine
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 67
Re: Checking for a new clone - what does it mean?
Hi Brandywine,
Before I or anyone else tries to answer your question, can you clarify exactly what you're asking? For example, are you asking what clones are, and how they are relevant to someone with multiple myeloma?
Before I or anyone else tries to answer your question, can you clarify exactly what you're asking? For example, are you asking what clones are, and how they are relevant to someone with multiple myeloma?
Re: Checking for a new clone - what does it mean?
My multiple myeloma doctor mentioned something about checking me for a new clone? Perhaps I didn't understand that correctly.
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brandywine - Name: brandywine
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: May 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 67
Re: Checking for a new clone - what does it mean?
Hi Brandywine,
Is your myeloma specialist planning on doing a bone marrow biopsy to check if you've developed a new clone?
If so, then he/she is probably wondering if the myeloma that is remaining in your body is different from what it was the last time you had a bone marrow biopsy. The way your doctor most likely will determine if there has been a change is by looking at the chromosomal abnormalities (deletions, translocations, etc.) that the myeloma cells have now, and compare them to what was reported in your previous biopsy.
The doctor also may look at what proteins are on the surface of the myeloma cells. That information also is often reported in bone marrow biopsy reports (it's the "CDxx+" information in biopsy reports).
Myeloma cells are mutated plasma cells. The cells are called "clones" because they are basically duplicates of some original mutated plasma cell that has reproduced aggressively, filling up the bone marrow with lots of copies of the original mutation.
These clones can mutate further, creating new mutations, which will reproduce and produce different clones. Also, myeloma patients often will have more than one type of plasma cell mutation present at diagnosis, but just one type of mutation (clone) will be dominant. Treatment may wipe out the dominant clone, but some of the other clones may remain and potentially become the dominant clone when the disease relapses.
This may have been more than you asked for, but I hope it was still helpful. Let us know if you have any more questions.
Good luck!
Is your myeloma specialist planning on doing a bone marrow biopsy to check if you've developed a new clone?
If so, then he/she is probably wondering if the myeloma that is remaining in your body is different from what it was the last time you had a bone marrow biopsy. The way your doctor most likely will determine if there has been a change is by looking at the chromosomal abnormalities (deletions, translocations, etc.) that the myeloma cells have now, and compare them to what was reported in your previous biopsy.
The doctor also may look at what proteins are on the surface of the myeloma cells. That information also is often reported in bone marrow biopsy reports (it's the "CDxx+" information in biopsy reports).
Myeloma cells are mutated plasma cells. The cells are called "clones" because they are basically duplicates of some original mutated plasma cell that has reproduced aggressively, filling up the bone marrow with lots of copies of the original mutation.
These clones can mutate further, creating new mutations, which will reproduce and produce different clones. Also, myeloma patients often will have more than one type of plasma cell mutation present at diagnosis, but just one type of mutation (clone) will be dominant. Treatment may wipe out the dominant clone, but some of the other clones may remain and potentially become the dominant clone when the disease relapses.
This may have been more than you asked for, but I hope it was still helpful. Let us know if you have any more questions.
Good luck!
Re: Checking for a new clone - what does it mean?
Hi Brandywine,
You're asking a good, important question. TerryH has given you a very good answer. If you'd like a little more detail on this topic, check out this Myeloma Beacon news article written by Dr. Gareth Morgan last fall on the topic of "Evolution, Intra-Clonal Heterogeneity, and Multiple Myeloma."
Mike
You're asking a good, important question. TerryH has given you a very good answer. If you'd like a little more detail on this topic, check out this Myeloma Beacon news article written by Dr. Gareth Morgan last fall on the topic of "Evolution, Intra-Clonal Heterogeneity, and Multiple Myeloma."
Mike
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mikeb - Name: mikeb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009 (MGUS at that time)
- Age at diagnosis: 55
5 posts
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