[Candycane]

Light chains higher than on first test

by Candycane on Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:59 pm

I've been recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. I went to see the consultant yesterday and got results of my second blood test. My light chain is up higher than first blood test. He told me to go back in six weeks and if it still goes up then they would look at starting some form of treatment!
Is there a chance light chains will go down ?

I looked into Gerson therapy but I'm not really sure if they can help with this type of cancer. Does anyone know why ?

I'm juicing lots and having Chinese herbal medicine.

[Multibilly]

Re: Light chains higher than on first test

by Multibilly on Sat Dec 12, 2015 7:59 pm

Hi Candycane,

Welcome to the forum. I take it you are somewhere in Europe?

If you truly have multiple myeloma and meet one or more of the "CRAB" criteria (which, until recently, were the only criteria for a multiple myeloma diagnosis), then one gets treated since one is experiencing organ damage. CRAB is defined as:

[C] Calcium elevation in the blood (serum calcium >10.5 mg/l or upper limit of normal)
[R] Renal insufficiency (serum creatinine > 2 mg/dl)
[A] Anemia (hemoglobin < 10 g/dl or 2 g/dl < normal)
[B] Lytic bone lesions or osteoporosis

If you instead have a "myeloma-defining event" (MDE) based on the new additional International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) diagnostic criteria that were recently published, and do not meet any of the CRAB criteria, then it's more up to the discretion of the doctor as to when to begin treatment (not every specialist believes that having an MDE is automatically a reason to begin treatment). For more about the new criteria for a myeloma diagnosis, see:

SV Rajkumar, "New Criteria For The Diagnosis Of Multiple Myeloma And Related Disorders," The Myeloma Beacon, Dec 13, 2015

Do you know what aspect of your diagnosis has caused you to be diagnosed with "multiple myeloma" as opposed to smoldering multiple myeloma? Are you perhaps smoldering instead of having multiple myeloma, and do you have a free light chain ratio approaching 100 that would possibly cause your doctor to think about starting treatment?

Any and all of one's markers can fluctuate, including free light chains. But I think it's first important to understand if you truly have a diagnosis of multiple myeloma or smoldering multiple myeloma.

[Little Monkey]

Re: Light chains higher than on first test

by Little Monkey on Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:16 am

Please consult with your haematologist regarding any Gerson diets / juicing schemes / coffee enemas etc., as they can do more harm than good.

[Lev]

Re: Light chains higher than on first test

by Lev on Sun Dec 13, 2015 4:12 am

You ask if the numbers can go down without any treatment.

I cannot give any general answer, but my own numbers went down a lot before treatment began. I never got any real explanation. I wrote about it here: https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/well-well-not-too-bad-so-far-t6350.html

I did of course ask about the numbers that dropped towards normal before treatment, but I only got a little bit evasive answers.

I do not know anything about the cure you mention. But I would ask my myeloma specialist.

Which country are you living ind and how are your condition / symptoms?

Best wishes,

Lev