There may be a way to detect multiple myeloma (MM) earlier — effectively shortening the longer diagnostic interval that is typically associated with the diagnosis of MM — using basic information derived from routine blood panels already used in the primary care setting, according to a study published in British Journal of General Practice.1
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) uses an urgent cancer threshold for referral of 3%, which is calculated through the measurement of the levels of certain blood components and inflammatory markers.
The investigators of the current study sought to identify which specific markers would be the best predictors of early disease and could be used to either to rule out or rule in symptomatic myeloma. They hypothesized information from a simple blood panel could be a launch point for early detection; this screening could occur prior to the performance of protein electrophoresis and urinary Bence Jones protein confirmatory tests.
Read more: https://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/male-reproductive-cancers/multiple-myeloma-blood-test-help-clinicians-diagnose-earlier/article/791980/