Great question! Knowing your myeloma type is really important for understanding how your disease behaves and what treatment might work best. Doctors use a few specific tests to figure out which type of antibody your myeloma cells are producing.
The main tests used to identify your myeloma type include:
- Immunofixation Show Full Answer
Great question! Knowing your myeloma type is really important for understanding how your disease behaves and what treatment might work best. Doctors use a few specific tests to figure out which type of antibody your myeloma cells are producing.
The main tests used to identify your myeloma type include:
- Immunofixation electrophoresis (IFE) — This looks at a blood or urine sample to identify which type of heavy chain protein (like IgA or IgG) makes up your M protein. This is the key test for confirming your myeloma subtype.
- Serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) — A blood test that detects and measures M protein levels.
- Urine protein electrophoresis (UPEP) — Similar to SPEP but uses a urine sample.
- Quantitative immunoglobulins — Measures how much of each antibody type is in your blood, helping doctors understand how active the myeloma is. One thing worth knowing is that IgA myeloma can be trickier to track than IgG. On standard blood tests like SPEP, IgA proteins can sometimes hide or mask the M protein spike that doctors look for. Because of this, doctors monitoring IgA myeloma may rely more heavily on quantitative immunoglobulin tests for accurate tracking.
If you're unsure of your myeloma type, it's worth asking your oncologist directly — they should be able to tell you based on your diagnosis bloodwork. Knowing your type helps your care team tailor the right treatment plan for you.
August 4
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