Symptoms
Diagnosis and Prognosis
Testing
Types and Stages
Treatment Options
Helpful Resources
It is difficult to diagnose multiple myeloma based on any single test result. That is why it is important that patients undergo all relevant testing to give the doctor a thorough picture of what is going on inside the body.
People who are diagnosed with multiple myeloma will display the following:
- at least one major and one minor criteria for multiple myeloma
OR
- three minor criteria for multiple myeloma
The criteria for diagnosing multiple myeloma are as follows:
Major criteria
- A confirmed plasmacytoma (solid tumor made of plasma cells)
- A bone marrow sample in which 30% or more of cells are plasma cells
- High levels of monoclonal protein (M-protein) in the blood or urine
Minor criteria
- A bone marrow sample in which 10%-29% of cells are plasma cells
- A more minor spike in M-protein levels in blood or urine
- Holes in bones resulting from myeloma growth
- Abnormally low levels of antibodies in the blood
When multiple myeloma is diagnosed after testing, doctors make a prediction about the outcome of the disease, also known as a prognosis. This outlook depends on factors including the type and stage of a person’s myeloma.
The most important prognostic factors are related to the genetic make-up of the myeloma cells, as assessed by chromosome analysis and gene arrays, as well as the extent of the disease, which is best evaluated by MRI and PET/CT scan.
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