Latest quarterly labs are in.
Original diagnosis December 19, 2014 - MGUS IgG lambda, no lytic lesions, no "CRAB." Bone marrow biopsy (BMB) done in December 2014 showed 7-8% bone marrow plasma cell percentage.
Since diagnosis, I take crazy quantities of a curcumin (Natural Factors TheraCurmin). I eat less, move more. I'm losing weight, feeling better.
For the most part, everything is looking good, but the lambda light chain is up again, and obviously kappa/lambda ratio dropped. Appointment with my hem/onc MGUS specialist is next week. Still hasn't ordered Bence Jones 24-hr urine, and I would like a baseline. Any idea based on the below why she wouldn't?
M-spike (g/dL)
Aug 2015: 0.4
Mar 2015: 0.6
Dec 2014: 0.5
IgG (mg/dL)
Aug 2015: 1625
Mar 2015: 1776
Dec 2014: 1725
IgM (mg/dL)
Aug 2015: 46
Mar 2015: 57
Dec 2014: 53
IgA (mg/dL)
Aug 2015: 261
Mar 2015: 289
Dec 2014: 277
Kappa free light chain (mg/L)
Aug 2015: 15.6
Mar 2015: 13.5
Dec 2014: 12.1
Lambda free light chain (mg/L)
Aug 2015: 167.5
Mar 2015: 113.2
Dec 2014: 69.7
Kappa/lambda free light chain ratio:
Aug 2015: 0.09
Mar 2015: 0.12
Dec 2014: 0.17
Forums
7 posts
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Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
Aegrant00,
How much Theracurmin do you take? I bought some fresh ground at a spice store, but don't know how much I should take. I have read it should be taken with black pepper.
Have you changed how you eat? I have read more fruit and veggies, sweet potatoes, mango, berries.
As far as your numbers, someone who knows more can answer your questions. The urine test was one of the first tests ordered for me.
Debi
How much Theracurmin do you take? I bought some fresh ground at a spice store, but don't know how much I should take. I have read it should be taken with black pepper.
Have you changed how you eat? I have read more fruit and veggies, sweet potatoes, mango, berries.
As far as your numbers, someone who knows more can answer your questions. The urine test was one of the first tests ordered for me.
Debi
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Debic - Name: Debi
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: August 2015
- Age at diagnosis: 57
Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
Debic,
You can't begin to get enough curcumin into your system by eating ground turmeric from a spice store to equal the kind of doses of curcumin that are taken by several folks on this forum (curcumin is a component of turmeric and represents only 2-3% of the total weight of pure turmeric).
If you do the math, you would have to eat about 200 g (almost half a pound) of turmeric in one sitting to get a typical dose of curcumin (4 g) using one of the more popular curcumin formulations such as Doctor's Best Curcumin C3.
You can't begin to get enough curcumin into your system by eating ground turmeric from a spice store to equal the kind of doses of curcumin that are taken by several folks on this forum (curcumin is a component of turmeric and represents only 2-3% of the total weight of pure turmeric).
If you do the math, you would have to eat about 200 g (almost half a pound) of turmeric in one sitting to get a typical dose of curcumin (4 g) using one of the more popular curcumin formulations such as Doctor's Best Curcumin C3.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
Aegrant00,
There are lot of oncs out there that do not utilize 24-hour UPEPs for routine monitoring of myeloma patients, including my onc. If you want one, I would just ask your doc to include it in the pending lab order (it's a pretty inexpensive test). I wouldn't be holding my breath for her to order one without some prompting.
There are lot of oncs out there that do not utilize 24-hour UPEPs for routine monitoring of myeloma patients, including my onc. If you want one, I would just ask your doc to include it in the pending lab order (it's a pretty inexpensive test). I wouldn't be holding my breath for her to order one without some prompting.
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
So I got a call from the hem/onc.
She called since I was asking so many questions about getting the Bence Jones urine test.
She reviewed my labs and says that, although the M-spike and heavy chains are stable, the fact that there is a consistent jump in lambda light chains means there is some progression going on. Still no C.R.A.B. symptoms, and no clinical indications from this last assay. No reason to begin treatment, but let's look again in 90 days. If the lambda light chain continues to progress, she'll order another bone study and bone marrow biopsy in November.
She feels the B-J urine test won't tell her anything she doesn't already know. the increase in lambda light chains from 69.7 mg/L to 113.2 mg/L to 167.5 mg/L indicates that there is clearly some progression.
She says the light chains are "floating". Anybody heard of this?
She called since I was asking so many questions about getting the Bence Jones urine test.
She reviewed my labs and says that, although the M-spike and heavy chains are stable, the fact that there is a consistent jump in lambda light chains means there is some progression going on. Still no C.R.A.B. symptoms, and no clinical indications from this last assay. No reason to begin treatment, but let's look again in 90 days. If the lambda light chain continues to progress, she'll order another bone study and bone marrow biopsy in November.
She feels the B-J urine test won't tell her anything she doesn't already know. the increase in lambda light chains from 69.7 mg/L to 113.2 mg/L to 167.5 mg/L indicates that there is clearly some progression.
She says the light chains are "floating". Anybody heard of this?
Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
The follow up from your doc sounds like what my doc might say under the circumstances. My only suggestion would be to push for a PET/CT or whole-body MRI if she wants to do another bone study in the future.
By definition, free light chains "float" (hence the term "free") around unattached in the serum and that quantity is what is measured by the serum free light chain assay. This is as opposed to light chains that are bound to immunoglobulins. But you probably already know all this. I've never heard the term "floating" mean anything other than "free" in this context...but others on this forum may have heard differently?
By definition, free light chains "float" (hence the term "free") around unattached in the serum and that quantity is what is measured by the serum free light chain assay. This is as opposed to light chains that are bound to immunoglobulins. But you probably already know all this. I've never heard the term "floating" mean anything other than "free" in this context...but others on this forum may have heard differently?
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Multibilly - Name: Multibilly
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Smoldering, Nov, 2012
Re: Understanding FLC results (no BJ urine test ordered yet)
Hi aegrant00,
We checked with Beacon Medical Advisor Dr. James Hoffman about the "floating" description that your doctor used for the light chains. Like Multibilly, Dr. Hoffman suspects that it was just another way of describing the light chains as free (not attached to immunoglobulin heavy chains).
It might be worth checking with your doctor, however, to confirm this. If you do, let us know what you find out.
Best regards,
The Myeloma Beacon Staff
We checked with Beacon Medical Advisor Dr. James Hoffman about the "floating" description that your doctor used for the light chains. Like Multibilly, Dr. Hoffman suspects that it was just another way of describing the light chains as free (not attached to immunoglobulin heavy chains).
It might be worth checking with your doctor, however, to confirm this. If you do, let us know what you find out.
Best regards,
The Myeloma Beacon Staff
7 posts
• Page 1 of 1