Learn about the various tests and procedures used to diagnose multiple myeloma, including blood and urine tests, X-rays, bone marrow biopsies, and imaging scans.
When you have multiple myeloma , cancer cells crowd out healthy blood cells in your body. Instead of making normal proteins called antibodies, they make particles called M proteins. (The M stands for monoclonal.) To diagnose you, your doctor will order blood and urine tests to check for M proteins. A lab then checks it for M proteins and another substance -- beta-2 microglobulin -- that are signs you have multiple myeloma .The proteins that myeloma cells make don’t just show up in your blood.
They can appear in your urine as well, which gives doctors another way to diagnose the disease. Plus, multiple myeloma can damage your kidneys, so your doctor will want to check your pee for any sign they aren’t working properly. Some of the tests require you to collect urine over a 24-hour period, not give just one sample.In this test, your doctor takes a look at all the major bones in your body using X-rays. Multiple myeloma can cause bone problems, including pain, soft or thinning bones, and fractures. X-rays can show that kind of damage. A technician will show you how to position yourself and then take images from different angles to get views of all your bones.Multiple myeloma starts in bone marrow, the spongy tissue inside some bones. To test it, the doctor uses medicine to numb the area near your pelvis, then they take a sample of the liquid inside your bone marrow using a needle that goes into your pelvic bone. They also remove a sliver of bone and marrow. Doctors will check the samples to see how your cells look and whether you have too many plasma cells, a sign of multiple myeloma.This scan will show your doctor if myeloma cells have replaced normal bone marrow. Your doctor might also look for a tumor made up of plasma cells called a plasmacytoma. This type of imaging test is also good for spotting spine fractures from the bone damage the disease can caus
Multiple Myeloma Diagnosis Tests Bone Marrow Imaging Scans
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