Myeloma Center

The lab work generally done for diagnostic, staging, prognostic & monitoring purposes are

I Blood Work

1. Serum protein electrophoresis

2. Serum Immunofixation

3. CMP, CBC, B2M, CRP

II Bone Marrow Aspirate and Biopsy

1. Bone marrow Smear

2. Immunohistochemistry studies

3. Cytogenetics

III Scan

1. Skeletal survey

2. PET Scan / MRI

IV Urine

1. Urinalysis

2. Urine protein 24h

3. U IFE

Serum Protein electrophoresis is a method for separating the proteins in serum according to their shape and size by a porous gel.

The proteins in serum generally  separate into five or six major groupings. These fractions are called albumin, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta, and gamma and form characteristic patterns. Alterations to these patterns are associated with a variety of different diseases and conditions. The most important example is the appearance of a distinct, or monoclonal, band in the gamma globulins. Normally, the gamma globulins appear as a smooth pattern of protein staining with no distinct bands present.

In patients with multiple myeloma, the uncontrolled growth and division of a malignant plasma cell leads to the production of large amounts of a single type of immunoglobulin. The abnormal protein can be seen as a characteristic band on the electrophoresis gel and is identified by immunofixation, which indicates which immunoglobulin is abnormal.