[dianaiad]

Normal free light chain assay...can I still have multiple myeloma?

by dianaiad on Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:35 pm

Yeah, well, that's the question. If the free light chain assay comes back well within normal ranges:

Kappa Light Chan, free: 6 (standard range 3-19)..mg/l
Lambda Light Chain, free 11 (standard range 6-260...mg/l
Kappa/Lambda, free ratio 0.5


???? All the information I find shows that everybody is worried about the free light chains...but although some of my other tests are odd, this one seems to be just fine.

Diana, just trying to figure things out here.

[Ron Harvot]

Re: Normal free light chain assay...can I still have multipl

by Ron Harvot on Fri Feb 22, 2013 3:00 pm

The fact that you have a normal FLC Assay is very good news but it is only one of several tests that are used. See the following free pamplet published by the International Myeloma Foundation that gives a good general discussion. It should help answer your questions.

http://myeloma.org/pdfs/Patient_Handbook_2013.pdf

Ron

[Anonymous]

Re: Normal free light chain assay...can I still have multipl

by Anonymous on Mon Feb 25, 2013 5:57 pm

Your Free Light Chains are normalised, so that very good news but you need many other tests in order to know if you have persistent myeloma cells in your body. You will need a bone marrow puncture, you will need histology of the sample and flow cytometry of the aspirate. Thats the first things that you need. If these are negative then the results will be very encouraging.

Your friend
Harris

[dianaiad]

Re: Normal free light chain assay...can I still have multipl

by dianaiad on Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:15 pm

Thank you...I get the bone marrow biopsy done tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it about as much as I would a root canal with a dentist who just ran out of anesthesia. The reason I asked this question is because I somehow got the impression that a normal light chain assay was REALLY uncommon with multiple myeloma...but the doc made the appointment for the biopsy AFTER he saw it.

So I don't know what to think. I'm in a swamp.

[Multibilly]

Re: Normal free light chain assay...can I still have multipl

by Multibilly on Mon Feb 25, 2013 6:55 pm

I would suggest that you try not to "make anything of it" and consider the doctor to be thorough as you will only know for sure whether you have multiple myeloma by analyzing the bone marrow aspirate in conjunction with all your serum & urine tests and skeletal survey. But no harm in hoping for the best given that your FLCs came up negative.

Every one is different with bone marrow biopsies. I was worried going into my first one and came out saying "that was it? what is all the fuss about?" Note that I only had a local and drove myself home afterwards. Others have certainly experienced more pain during and after the procedure, but in any case, folks do just fine and get over any pain pretty quickly. So, I suggest you don't sweat it and that you pop a couple of advil after the procedure and before any pain does kick in.

Make sure you ask for copies of your resulting report and I would suggest asking the doc doing the procedure how long it will take to get the results back (in my case, the doc that did my biopsy was also the one that did the ensuing analyses of the aspirate). All my serum, urine and radiological tests usually take 1-2 days to get the results back, but the bone marrow test results took a full week to be completed.

Best of luck to you.