[Beacon Staff]

Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagnosis

by Beacon Staff on Wed Jun 11, 2014 10:43 am

This week's poll is about bone marrow plasma cell percentage levels at the time a person is diagnosed with smoldering myeloma.

By definition, someone who is diagnosed with smoldering myeloma should have a bone marrow plasma cell percentage of at least 10 percent. That is, a test of a sample of the person's bone marrow should reveal that, of the cells present in the sample, at least 10 percent are plasma cells.

There also is a similar poll being run parallel to this one for people who have been diagnosed with active (symptomatic) multiple myeloma (link to that poll).

There will not be a similar poll for people diagnosed with MGUS (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance) because, by definition, the range of potential plasma cell per­cent­ages for MGUS is much more narrow (0 to less than 10 percent).

A few important clarifications about this week's poll:

First, this poll is for people who have been diagnosed with smoldering myeloma.

(You can still answer this poll if your smoldering myeloma eventually progressed to symp­to­matic multiple myeloma. If that's the case, please respond to this poll based on the plasma cell percentage you had at the time of your smoldering myeloma diagnosis. You also can re­spond to the accompanying poll question for symptomatic myeloma based on your plasma cell percentage when your diagnosis changed to symptomatic myeloma.)

Second, if you are a caregiver or family member of a smoldering myeloma patient, feel free to answer on their behalf.

Third, different tests of the bone marrow yield different estimates of the plasma cell percent­age. If you were given different estimates of your plasma cell percentage at the time of your smoldering myeloma diagnosis, please answer the poll using the highest percentage you were told.

Fourth, although a plasma cell percentage of at least 10 percent is considered a requirement for a smoldering myeloma diagnosis, we are nevertheless allowing for answers of less than 10 percent. This is for those cases where someone may have been told they have smoldering myeloma even though they did not strictly meet the definition of the disease.

As always, feel free to post comments, thoughts, or feedback about this week's poll in the space below. They can be very useful to other readers.

[WeatherNurse13]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by WeatherNurse13 on Wed Jun 11, 2014 1:19 pm

Sorry voted on the wrong poll. Never had diagnosis of smoldering myeloma. (so removed the 60% vote)

[Beacon Staff]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by Beacon Staff on Wed Jun 11, 2014 1:27 pm

Thanks, Gracie. We've adjusted the votes.

[jb007cwi]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by jb007cwi on Sat Sep 13, 2014 9:31 am

10% bone marrow plasma cell percentage at intial evaluation of venous thrombosis.

[Maro]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by Maro on Fri Oct 03, 2014 7:39 am

I did not see this poll and did not vote.

However, just for additional info, my mother was diagnosed with smoldering myeloma at 50%.

[blair77]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by blair77 on Tue Oct 21, 2014 12:53 am

My husband was 20% at diagnosis and this was the SOLE reason he was started on treatment. He had no CRAB symptoms. I am wondering if they jumped the gun on starting his treatment.

[Multibilly]

Re: Weekly Poll - Plasma Cell % At Smoldering Myeloma Diagno

by Multibilly on Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:43 am

Hi Blair,

For the benefit of others responding to this, I see this summary in one of your first posts:

My husbands M spike is 1.8, bence jones protein in urine, bone thinning but no lesions on the skeletal X-ray, no hypercalcemia, but hgb and platlets have become low ( hgb-11, platlets 105) bone marrow biopsy showed 20% plasma cells lambda light, FISH negative for multiple myeloma changes, karyotype normal, beta 2 micro globulin 3.2, LDH normal.