[Gala]

Amylase-producing multiple myeloma: how common is it?

by Gala on Sat Mar 23, 2019 4:22 pm

Hi everyone,

Recently there has been a develpment in my sister's lab results. At relapse her amylase is sky high, and after a round of treatment it goes down. Her doctors thought it was due to acute pancreatitis, but her pancreas is asyptomatic.

Her doctors said that high amylase is not known to them to be linked to myeloma.

But I found this case report:

Pinelli, M, et al, "Amylase: a disease activity index in multiple myeloma?", Leukemia & Lymphoma, Vol 47, 2006 (abstract)

Abstract:

This study reports a case of a patient with lambda-light chain multiple myeloma who developed a high hyper­amylasaemia of the salivary type during the disease and soon afterwards died. Ectopic production of amylase by myeloma cells has been described in a few cases and demonstrated by tissue culture and immunohistochemical techniques. The common charac­teristics of these cases were: salivary amylase isoenzyme increase, high tumor mass, extensive extra-medullary spread, extensive bone destruction and poor prognosis. In patients with amylase-producing multiple myeloma, the onset of hyper­amylasaemia heralds a rapid disease progression; therefore, in these patients, a simple test such as serum amylase may represent a reliable disease activity index and provide an additional prognostic information.

Does anyone know how common amylase-producing multiple myeloma is, and what sort of characteristics it has? Is it more likely in relapsed disease? Does it indicate disease that is more, or less, likely to respond to treatment?

[Multibilly]

Re: Amylase-producing multiple myeloma: how common is it?

by Multibilly on Sun Mar 24, 2019 10:02 am

Hi Gala,

Sorry to hear about this new development. This article provides a bit more background information on this condition and may answer at least some of your questions.

Nair, S, et al., "Metastatic multiple myeloma with hyper­amylasaemia and hyper­lipasaemia," Postgraduate Medical Journal, Oct 1998 (full text of article [PDF])

[Gala]

Re: Amylase-producing multiple myeloma: how common is it?

by Gala on Sun Mar 24, 2019 5:16 pm

Hi, Multibilly

Thank you very much for posting this. At least I am clearer about the mechanism of the process. It sounds bad, but my sister's situation sounded bad from the day of her initial diagnosis, with everything rare and aggressive that can be found coming her way, and she is still here three years on, so we'll keep going for now.