[Kathymcknight60]

Abnormal bone marrow and fat pad test

by Kathymcknight60 on Sat May 20, 2017 10:57 am

I have been monitored for MGUS since 2004. I decided to go to a regional cancer hospital and be evaluated since my father had died from multiple myeloma. I was given a battery of tests. My bone marrow came back with "aberrant cells consistent with plasma cell neoplasm". If I'm reading it correctly, it shows 55% iGg abnormal cells. I have had anemia, the only CRAB symptom. My PET showed no lesions.

Am I correct in assuming I have now progressed to smoldering myeloma?

Also, my fat pad test test was positive for amyloid. This was sent to the Mayo Clinic for con­firma­tion. Amyloidosis seems to be a horrible disease, so multiple myeloma may become secondary to me problems! I'm currently undergoing full systemic testing for amyloid deposits. So far I have no symptoms of this.

Thanks for any input.

[Multibilly]

Re: Abnormal bone marrow and fat pad test

by Multibilly on Sat May 20, 2017 1:42 pm

Hi Kathy,

I'm so sorry to hear about this potential dual diagnosis.

You say you are anemic. Just what is your hemoglobin level (including the units of measure and the normal range from you lab chart)? If your anemia is signficant enough to meet the "A" in CRAB, then you would technically be diagnosed with symptomatic multiple myeloma, not smoldering multiple myeloma. To be anemic by the CRAB standard, your hemoglobin would need to be < 10 g/dL or 2 g/dL under the normal lower lab limit. Otherwise, you are correct that your diagnosis would be smoldering multiple myeloma given a bone marrow plasma percentage of 55% – at least based on the numbers that you have shared so far. What are your M-spike and serum free light chain numbers doing?

The good news is that treatments for amyloidosis are usually very similar (if not identical) to treating multiple myeloma, and any amyloidosis treatments should significantly help you with your myeloma-related numbers. It's also great that you are being seen at the Mayo.

Note that quite a few folks on this forum have been diagnosed with amyloidosis and have responded well to treatments and are leading quite good lives.

[Kathymcknight60]

Re: Abnormal bone marrow and fat pad test

by Kathymcknight60 on Sun May 21, 2017 1:15 am

My protein spike in January was 1.5 g/dL (15 g/l), but it was just 0.8 in January. My hemoglobin was exactly 10. I was having some leg pain, but since the PET showed no lytic lesions, I assume that was not from the multiple myeloma.

I really expected it to be MGUS with the M-spike. My doctor at MD Anderson in Houston was going to put me in a research study for the progression of MGUS to multiple myeloma. My dad passed away from multiple myeloma in 1998. That is the reason they were interested because they were researching the genetic component of multiple myeloma.

[Multibilly]

Re: Abnormal bone marrow and fat pad test

by Multibilly on Sun May 21, 2017 7:26 am

Ah, you are also being seen at MD Anderson. Glad to see you are working with a well regarded myeloma treatment center.

I think you probably know this already, but the treatments for myeloma and amyloidosis have progressed exponentially since the mid '90s when your dad was being treated. It's an entirely new ballgame when it comes to being able treat both myeloma and amyloidosis.

Good luck and please let us know how things turn out after your appointment at the Mayo.