MULTIPLE MYELOMA: LABORATORY TESTING FOR PLASMA CELL PROLIFERATIVE PROCESSES

Course overview

The range of plasma cell proliferative processes that produce an M protein, their presentations, and clinical significance are broad and varied. In this session, you will learn about this broad spectrum of conditions (from monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)) to multiple myeloma. You will hear about current use of modern electrophoretic and immunochemical methods for detecting these conditions (including serum free light chains) and how you can stratify the risks of progression. You will view examples of false positives and false negatives, discuss challenging cases that demonstrate mimics of an M protein, and gain new strategies for screening and triage.