The second poll for this week asks about the M-spikes of people with smoldering multiple myeloma.
Plasma cells typically produce a variety of antibodies that fight infection. However, people with MGUS, smoldering myeloma, multiple myeloma, and other related conditions have abnormal plasma cells that produce the same type of abnormal antibody that is unable to fight infection. This abnormal antibody is known as monoclonal protein (M-protein). This M-protein is often found in large amounts in the blood and urine. M-spike refers to the sharp peak that occurs on protein electrophoresis when M-protein is present.
A few clarifications about this week's poll:
First of all, this poll is for people diagnosed with smoldering multiple myeloma (a similar poll is being run this week for people with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and separate polls on this topic will be run for people with multiple myeloma).
Second, if you are a caregiver or family member of a smoldering myeloma patient, feel free to answer on their behalf.
Third, this poll is open to any smoldering myeloma patient who has a stable M-spike. For the purpose of this poll, a stable M-spike would be one that has been nearly the same for at least the past three months. If your M-spike fluctuates between two of the poll's options, please select the option that more often fits your M-spike.
Fourth, it should be noted that M-spikes are typically reported with units of g/dL in the United States but are often reported with units of g/L in many other countries. To convert from g/L to g/dL, simply divide the number by 10. For example, an M-spike of 10 g/L is equivalent to 1 g/dL.
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.
Here's the link to this week's poll for people with MGUS:
https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/weekly-poll-mgus-m-spike-t2285.html
And here's a link to a similar past poll for myeloma patients who are not currently being treated:
https://myelomabeacon.org/forum/weekly-poll-stable-m-spike-without-treatment-t2248.html
Forums
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
Perhaps if some one would be so kind as to write an article - on Smoldering Myeloma -M spikes etc and MGUS that would explain exactly what these terms and some of the others used here mean you might get more in put on these polls - I know some of you are old hands at using these terms -but some of us are less well informed on these matters - how about a break for the new people that find this forum ? If we are just lost and this info is on site please point us in the right direction. N.G.
-
Nipon Ginko - Name: Nipon Ginko
- Who do you know with myeloma?: ME
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2004
- Age at diagnosis: 66
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
Thank you, Nipon, for pointing out that we did not explain M-spike. Our apologies.
Plasma cells typically produce a variety of antibodies that fight infection. However, people with MGUS, smoldering myeloma, multiple myeloma, and other related conditions have abnormal plasma cells that produce the same type of abnormal antibody that is unable to fight infection. This abnormal antibody is known as monoclonal protein (M-protein). This M-protein is often found in large amounts in the blood and urine. M-spike refers to the sharp peak that occurs on protein electrophoresis when M-protein is present.
Plasma cells typically produce a variety of antibodies that fight infection. However, people with MGUS, smoldering myeloma, multiple myeloma, and other related conditions have abnormal plasma cells that produce the same type of abnormal antibody that is unable to fight infection. This abnormal antibody is known as monoclonal protein (M-protein). This M-protein is often found in large amounts in the blood and urine. M-spike refers to the sharp peak that occurs on protein electrophoresis when M-protein is present.
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
Also, Nipon, MGUS and smoldering myeloma are earlier stages of multiple myeloma.
What we usually call multiple myeloma is sometimes called "active", or "symptomatic" multiple myeloma, to distinguish it in particular from smoldering myeloma. Multiple myeloma is "symptomatic" because one of the criteria for having multiple myeloma is that the disease has symptoms -- it's causing either bone damage, anemia, kidney damage, or excess calcium in the blood.
MGUS is now generally viewed to be the earliest stages of myeloma, followed by smoldering myeloma, and finally active/symptomatic multiple myeloma.
A patient is said to have MGUS, which stands for "monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance," if they meet the following criteria:
Serum paraprotein <30 g/L, and
Clonal plasma cells <10% on bone marrow biopsy, and
No myeloma-related organ or tissue impairment
A patient is said to have smoldering myeloma if they meet these criteria:
Serum paraprotein >30 g/L and/or
Clonal plasma cells >10% on bone marrow biopsy and
No myeloma-related organ or tissue impairment
Again, not all MGUS patients and smoldering myeloma patients will actually develop multiple myeloma, even though MGUS and smoldering myeloma are considered to be early stages of multiple myeloma.
What we usually call multiple myeloma is sometimes called "active", or "symptomatic" multiple myeloma, to distinguish it in particular from smoldering myeloma. Multiple myeloma is "symptomatic" because one of the criteria for having multiple myeloma is that the disease has symptoms -- it's causing either bone damage, anemia, kidney damage, or excess calcium in the blood.
MGUS is now generally viewed to be the earliest stages of myeloma, followed by smoldering myeloma, and finally active/symptomatic multiple myeloma.
A patient is said to have MGUS, which stands for "monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance," if they meet the following criteria:
Serum paraprotein <30 g/L, and
Clonal plasma cells <10% on bone marrow biopsy, and
No myeloma-related organ or tissue impairment
A patient is said to have smoldering myeloma if they meet these criteria:
Serum paraprotein >30 g/L and/or
Clonal plasma cells >10% on bone marrow biopsy and
No myeloma-related organ or tissue impairment
Again, not all MGUS patients and smoldering myeloma patients will actually develop multiple myeloma, even though MGUS and smoldering myeloma are considered to be early stages of multiple myeloma.
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
What are the perimeters on the M spike on smoldering myeloma?
My oncologist suggested I may be in between smoldering and multiple myeloma when I was in this week. I have no CRAB symptoms and I had a 20 percent plasma cell count, no bone lesions when I was diagnosed with myeloma a year ago.
However, they have now raised the plasma cell count and my M spike 3 months ago was down to 2.99 g/dL. All other blood work is normal. However, when they did the M spike 3 days ago, it was up to 3.53 g/dL.
I cannot seem to find any info on the board about the level for M spike for smoldering myeloma. Does anyone have any info on this?
Thanks to everyone for any help on this.
My oncologist suggested I may be in between smoldering and multiple myeloma when I was in this week. I have no CRAB symptoms and I had a 20 percent plasma cell count, no bone lesions when I was diagnosed with myeloma a year ago.
However, they have now raised the plasma cell count and my M spike 3 months ago was down to 2.99 g/dL. All other blood work is normal. However, when they did the M spike 3 days ago, it was up to 3.53 g/dL.
I cannot seem to find any info on the board about the level for M spike for smoldering myeloma. Does anyone have any info on this?
Thanks to everyone for any help on this.
-
barbara1200 - Name: barb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 75
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
Hello barbara1200,
My local oncologist once told me that he has had patients with m-spikes of 3.00 or higher who are still smoldering. So it is possible you're in that category. However, if you have not had a PET scan in the last year or so, it might be good to do that in order to be sure that you haven't got any bone involement. That's how it was determined that I'd moved from smoldering to symptomatic myeloma.
Also, you may have heard this, but in case you haven't - the International Myeloma Working Group recently came out with new guidelines regarding when treatment should be started, even if you still meet the "classic" criteria for smoldering myeloma (https://myelomabeacon.org/news/2014/10/26/new-multiple-myeloma-diagnostic-criteria/).
Best wishes to you. Please keep us posted on how things go for you.
Mike
My local oncologist once told me that he has had patients with m-spikes of 3.00 or higher who are still smoldering. So it is possible you're in that category. However, if you have not had a PET scan in the last year or so, it might be good to do that in order to be sure that you haven't got any bone involement. That's how it was determined that I'd moved from smoldering to symptomatic myeloma.
Also, you may have heard this, but in case you haven't - the International Myeloma Working Group recently came out with new guidelines regarding when treatment should be started, even if you still meet the "classic" criteria for smoldering myeloma (https://myelomabeacon.org/news/2014/10/26/new-multiple-myeloma-diagnostic-criteria/).
Best wishes to you. Please keep us posted on how things go for you.
Mike
-
mikeb - Name: mikeb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: self
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2009 (MGUS at that time)
- Age at diagnosis: 55
Re: Weekly Poll - Smoldering Myeloma M-Spike
Mike,
Thanks so much for responding. My oncologist did suggest I get bone scans in the next few months to make sure I had no bone involvement. I guess I will go ahead with that even though I seem to have no pains other than some from stenosis. I just hate the radiation from the x-rays all the time and if not that, the expense of the MRI's.
Thanks so much for the information as I was frustrated with the M-spike results.
Thanks so much for responding. My oncologist did suggest I get bone scans in the next few months to make sure I had no bone involvement. I guess I will go ahead with that even though I seem to have no pains other than some from stenosis. I just hate the radiation from the x-rays all the time and if not that, the expense of the MRI's.
Thanks so much for the information as I was frustrated with the M-spike results.
-
barbara1200 - Name: barb
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 75
8 posts
• Page 1 of 1