Plasma cell neoplasms
Breaking down the facts
When a patient presents with a monoclonal protein (M-protein) disorder, the answer is not always multiple myeloma. From the more common diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to rarer findings such as amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis or POEMS syndrome, it is becoming more recognized that plasma cell neoplasms are not just one disease, and they are characterized by marked protein, cytogenetic, molecular, and proliferative heterogeneity.
Clinicians are increasingly challenged to provide answers in this rapidly changing environment. Advances in testing methodologies, novel therapies, and individualized treatment regimens continually add to the complexity of helping patients. Whether you’re screening, diagnosing, or monitoring patients, we offer leading-edge testing that helps you provide the best care for your patients, locally.
News and updates
The latest
David S. Viswanatha, M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new assay provides rapid, definitive diagnosis of VEXAS, a recently identified syndrome affecting older men. Early diagnosis is key to managing the syndrome, which severely impacts multiple organs and blood.
David Murray, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' MASSFIX Quantitation assay provides next-generation screening for M-proteins, which are associated with multiple myeloma and other diseases. The assay better quantitates the blood proteins, for improved patient care and simpler test ordering.
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 MASSFIX 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.
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.
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.
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.