I have searched the Beacon and read several posts on rising beta 2 microglobulin, but I am not sure they pertained exactly to my situation, so I wanted to start a new thread.
A little background. I relapsed in June after treatment with Revlimid, Velcade, and dexamethasone (RVD) but before I could have an auto stem cell transplant (SCT) because of multiple plasmacytoma tumors throughout my body. My doctor started me on 3 new chemo drugs plus dex. I had a PET scan, bone marrow biopsy, and mammogram at the end of September and amazingly the plasmacytomas are gone, the BMB indicates "no evidence of residual plasma cell myeloma" and the flow cytometry report indicates "no cytologic or phenotypic evidence of minimal residual plasma cell myeloma".
I don't believe I could have asked for better results but I do have a concern. My beta 2 microglobulin results are increasing slowly out of the normal range. The last five blood tests I have had, starting with the most recent, show the B2M as:
2.7mg/L (0.8-2.2 normal range)
2.5
2.4
2.1
1.8
My kidneys seem to be functioning fine. I did have elevated calcium at diagnosis, but my calcium has been in the normal range for months. My BUN and creatinine have also been in the normal range for months and my Est. GFR has been mostly in the normal range, with just a few blood tests during the last months lower than normal.
I saw my doctor's physician's assistant about my tests and they said not to worry about the B2M, that it is mostly used at diagnosis. I noticed from reading previous Beacon posts that could cause concern. I'd like to see if the Forum had any comments.
Thanks ... Spirit
Forums
7 posts
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Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
Spirit:
My experience is the same as that professed by your providers. Beta2 microglobulin just isn't specific to myeloma, and many things make it "wobble", as yours is apparently doing.
I know it's a "leap" to set aside the anxiety, due to what you have already been thru -- but I think they are indeed, correct.
Congratulations on the amazing response(s) to your regimen of chemo. "Zero and None" is good!
Good luck.
My experience is the same as that professed by your providers. Beta2 microglobulin just isn't specific to myeloma, and many things make it "wobble", as yours is apparently doing.
I know it's a "leap" to set aside the anxiety, due to what you have already been thru -- but I think they are indeed, correct.
Congratulations on the amazing response(s) to your regimen of chemo. "Zero and None" is good!
Good luck.
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Rneb
Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
Hello Spirit,
That's wonderful that your plasmacytomas have disappeared and that your bone marrow biopsy results don't show any signs of myeloma. Very impressive!
About your beta 2 microglobulin results: Are those results from monthly blood tests? Or have you had testing done more frequently?
That's wonderful that your plasmacytomas have disappeared and that your bone marrow biopsy results don't show any signs of myeloma. Very impressive!
About your beta 2 microglobulin results: Are those results from monthly blood tests? Or have you had testing done more frequently?
Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
Thank you Cheryl,
These test results on the beta 2 microglobulin are monthly tests. My weekly tests are mainly a basic CBC.
Spirit
These test results on the beta 2 microglobulin are monthly tests. My weekly tests are mainly a basic CBC.
Spirit
Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
My beta 2 microglobulin has been relatively constant but elevated since 1997 – before, during, and after treatment. Not much change no matter what.
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rshap0
Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
Hi Spirit,
Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to this thread.
I can understand your concern about the trend in your beta 2 microglobulin, given how long it's gone on, and given that the level has been increasing consistently. The root source of concern, of course, is the fact that one thing that can cause beta 2 microglobulin to be high is a large number of myeloma cells in the body.
However, I can't find anything that has been published, or anything here in the forum, that suggests that it is advisable to use beta 2 microglobulin to track the (possible) progression of multiple myeloma. To the contrary -- if you check, for instance, this forum discussion,
"Beta 2 microglobulin" (forum disc. started Mar 8, 2015)
you'll find several physicians saying they feel that the test is influenced by too many things to be useful for tracking things like response to treatment and potential progression. At least one physician goes so far to say he doesn't even recommend doing the test after diagnosis.
Given all the other tests that you've had done that show that you don't have any signs of myeloma in your body right now, and given that beta 2 microglobulin does not seem to be a reliable marker for tracking your disease, I would not let the test results worry you too much.
I know you won't stop worrying completely, and I understand that completely. I know I wouldn't. But I do think there's good reason to believe that something else is probably behind the changes in the test results other than what's going on with your myeloma.
Best wishes,
Cheryl
Sorry it's taken me a while to get back to this thread.
I can understand your concern about the trend in your beta 2 microglobulin, given how long it's gone on, and given that the level has been increasing consistently. The root source of concern, of course, is the fact that one thing that can cause beta 2 microglobulin to be high is a large number of myeloma cells in the body.
However, I can't find anything that has been published, or anything here in the forum, that suggests that it is advisable to use beta 2 microglobulin to track the (possible) progression of multiple myeloma. To the contrary -- if you check, for instance, this forum discussion,
"Beta 2 microglobulin" (forum disc. started Mar 8, 2015)
you'll find several physicians saying they feel that the test is influenced by too many things to be useful for tracking things like response to treatment and potential progression. At least one physician goes so far to say he doesn't even recommend doing the test after diagnosis.
Given all the other tests that you've had done that show that you don't have any signs of myeloma in your body right now, and given that beta 2 microglobulin does not seem to be a reliable marker for tracking your disease, I would not let the test results worry you too much.
I know you won't stop worrying completely, and I understand that completely. I know I wouldn't. But I do think there's good reason to believe that something else is probably behind the changes in the test results other than what's going on with your myeloma.
Best wishes,
Cheryl
Re: Rising beta 2 microglobulin - what does it mean?
Thanks Cheryl for your response and link. I will have my beta 2 microglobulin checked in two weeks and then see my doctor. I am thinking my kidneys may be playing a part in the rising number.
7 posts
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