Myeloma, Amyloidosis, & Dysprotenemia

In this month's "Hot Topic," David Murray, M.D., Ph.D., reviews the role of urine testing for monoclonal gammopathies and discusses Mayo Clinic’s use of MASS-FIX to replace traditional immunofixation testing.

The assay is now recommended for diagnosing and monitoring patients with monoclonal protein disorders and exclusively available through Mayo Clinic Laboratories– Rochester.

In this month's "Hot Topic," Dragan Jevremovic, M.D., Ph.D., reviews the current state of testing for diagnosis, therapy, and stratification of patients with multiple myeloma.

The results are part of a comprehensive study of 16,175 cases performed at Mayo Clinic over an 11-year period.

Matt Millen, ex-pro NFL player, who played on four Super Bowl-winning teams underwent a nearly six-year medical journey in search for answers. Finally, he was diagnosed with amyloidosis using a new testing methodology at Mayo Clinic.

As a pioneer in the field, the Mayo Clinic plays an integral role by discovering new tests and treatments for plasma cell disorders. Our algorithmic approach ensures that the right tests are ordered at the right time, and that health care providers get clinically actionable answers for their patients faster. And testing with Mayo Clinic means 24/7 access to our physician and laboratory experts, who are leaders in their field.

The standard laboratory test to diagnose multiple myeloma dates back to the Eisenhower administration. Research at Mayo Clinic spearheaded by David Murray, M.D., Ph.D. (PATH ’10), and fueled by his experience as an industrial chemist has led to a new assay to screen and diagnose the disease.

This "Specialty Testing" webinar will cover the development work, clinical applications, analytical validation, and implementation of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry method (MASS-FIX) for the detection of monoclonal immunoglobulins M-proteins within the Mayo Clinic Protein Immunology Laboratory.

Like a thief in the night, multiple myeloma sneaks up on people. The incurable blood cancer almost always starts as a relatively benign condition—monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance, or MGUS—that has no symptoms and often goes undiagnosed.

David Murray, M.D., Ph.D., provides an overview of the updated monoclonal gammopathy screening and monitoring tests for multiple myeloma. He discusses when this testing should be ordered, how this approach improves upon previous methods, and what clinical action can be taken from the results of these tests.

Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer, but most people haven’t heard of it until they or someone they know is diagnosed with the disease. March is Myeloma Action Month—a time to focus attention on the fight against multiple myeloma.