Blood work at each visit is a really important tool for keeping tabs on myeloma, but it's one piece of a bigger picture. Regular blood tests can reveal a lot about how the disease is behaving and how well treatment is working.
Here's what blood tests can typically show:
- M protein levels – an abnormal protein made by Show Full Answer
Blood work at each visit is a really important tool for keeping tabs on myeloma, but it's one piece of a bigger picture. Regular blood tests can reveal a lot about how the disease is behaving and how well treatment is working.
Here's what blood tests can typically show:
- M protein levels – an abnormal protein made by myeloma cells, tracked to see if myeloma is responding to treatment
- Calcium levels – high calcium can signal active myeloma
- Kidney function – myeloma can affect the kidneys, so this is closely watched
- Red blood cell counts – low counts (anemia) are a common sign of active myeloma
- Beta-2 microglobulin – a protein produced by myeloma cells that helps indicate disease activity
- Serum free light chains – another protein marker that reflects myeloma activity That said, blood work alone doesn't always tell the full story. Doctors also use urine tests, bone marrow biopsies, and imaging like MRI or PET scans to get a more complete picture of what's happening.
It's always worth asking the care team to walk through what each test result means — understanding the numbers can really help in staying on top of things.
June 25
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