CancerCompass message board discussion started by DebJr on 5/8/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23858,0.htm Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hi all. Was wondering if anyone could help me a bit with translating CBC lab reports and answer a question about MM - IGA. My father has Multiple Myeloma, IGA. Stage III with bone involvement, currently under treatment for 6 months now, and the cancer still stable/responding to the treatments. Regarding IGA, the normal range is anywhere from 70 to 400. When he walked in the door upon diagnosis in Nov. 2007, he was 3400!After he started treatments, it declined to the following:December - 410 (a giant improvement)Jan/February - 119March - 105April/May - 118My first question is, should there be any concern that the IGA has gone up a little (13 points) since last month?  I was hoping to see it 'decrease' even more... like under a 100, but no such luck. They seem to think he's doing well and said he's continuing to 'maintain' -- but i have never heard the word 'remission' - like some people on this board have. Would that mean that one's IGA would have to go -under- 70 to do so? Currently, he is just starting his 4th cycle of Velcade. (initially, he got it twice a week, but it was a little too much for him - so now he gets it once a week). Also, as far as reading his lab/blood work - i am kind of clueless compared to everyone on this board. This is his latest, which i'm wondering if anyone could help 'translate' or just tell me what the important things are that i should keep track of:ALBUMIN (SPEP) 3.35ALPHA-1-GLOB (SPEP) 0.23ALPHA-2-GLOB (SPEP) 1.06BETA GLOB (SPEP) 0.84GAMMA GLOB. (SPEP) 0.72M SPIKE  - is 'blank'... then says 0.06 HI  - NOT DETECTEDIGA, SERUM 118IGG, SERUM  is 'blank'... then says 561 LOIGM, SERUM 100With notes at bottom.... Serum protein electrophoreses pattern interpretation: *** weak band in the gamma region which may be a paraprotein peak***And also - IMMUNOFIXATION, SERUM - Faint IGG Lambda Paraprotein Peak Detected.On page 2 - chemistry.... the following:Total Protein 6.2,  Albumin 4.1, Globulin 2.1, Sodium 136, Potassium 4.1, Chloride 97, BUN 15, Creatinine 0.7, BUN/Creat Ratio 21.4, Calcium 8.9, Bilirubin, Total 1.1 (says HI), Alk Phos 87, AST (SGOT) 20, ALT (SGPT) 13. Any help or slight translations would be very much appreciated. Thank you! DebJr Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/8/2008 DebJr wrote:Hi all. Was wondering if anyone could help me a bit with translating CBC lab reports and answer a question about MM - IGA. My father has Multiple Myeloma, IGA. Stage III with bone involvement, currently under treatment for 6 months now, and the cancer still stable/responding to the treatments. Regarding IGA, the normal range is anywhere from 70 to 400. When he walked in the door upon diagnosis in Nov. 2007, he was 3400!After he started treatments, it declined to the following:December - 410 (a giant improvement)Jan/February - 119March - 105April/May - 118My first question is, should there be any concern that the IGA has gone up a little (13 points) since last month?  I was hoping to see it 'decrease' even more... like under a 100, but no such luck. They seem to think he's doing well and said he's continuing to 'maintain' -- but i have never heard the word 'remission' - like some people on this board have. Would that mean that one's IGA would have to go -under- 70 to do so? Currently, he is just starting his 4th cycle of Velcade. (initially, he got it twice a week, but it was a little too much for him - so now he gets it once a week). Also, as far as reading his lab/blood work - i am kind of clueless compared to everyone on this board. This is his latest, which i'm wondering if anyone could help 'translate' or just tell me what the important things are that i should keep track of:ALBUMIN (SPEP) 3.35ALPHA-1-GLOB (SPEP) 0.23ALPHA-2-GLOB (SPEP) 1.06BETA GLOB (SPEP) 0.84GAMMA GLOB. (SPEP) 0.72M SPIKE  - is 'blank'... then says 0.06 HI  - NOT DETECTEDIGA, SERUM 118IGG, SERUM  is 'blank'... then says 561 LOIGM, SERUM 100With notes at bottom.... Serum protein electrophoreses pattern interpretation: *** weak band in the gamma region which may be a paraprotein peak***And also - IMMUNOFIXATION, SERUM - Faint IGG Lambda Paraprotein Peak Detected.On page 2 - chemistry.... the following:Total Protein 6.2,  Albumin 4.1, Globulin 2.1, Sodium 136, Potassium 4.1, Chloride 97, BUN 15, Creatinine 0.7, BUN/Creat Ratio 21.4, Calcium 8.9, Bilirubin, Total 1.1 (says HI), Alk Phos 87, AST (SGOT) 20, ALT (SGPT) 13. Any help or slight translations would be very much appreciated. Thank you!Hi DebJr,I, too, had problems sorting out the blood work and what it means.  I went to the Caring4Cancer web site and it explained all of the blood work that was being done and why they do it.  The CBC printed off all at once, but I had to click on each item in the comprehensive metabolic panel to get them to print out.  I carry it with me all the time, so that I can look things up.  Also, Lab Tests Online has an explaination of IgG, IgA, & IgM plus other tests, under multiple myeloma laboratory tests.  Hope this helps.Jan  wevebeenthere Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Good Evening DebJr.;ALBUMIN (SPEP) 3.35                                       Range: 3.2-5.6ALPHA-1-GLOB (SPEP) 0.23                                          0.1-0.4ALPHA-2-GLOB (SPEP) 1.06                                          0.4-1.2BETA GLOB (SPEP) 0.84                                               0.6-1.3GAMMA GLOB. (SPEP) 0.72                                          0.5-1.6M SPIKE  - is 'blank'... then says 0.06 HI  -                      0.0-0.0IGA, SERUM 118                                                           70-400IGG, SERUM  is 'blank'... then says 561 LO                     700-1600IGM, SERUM 100                                                          40-230With notes at bottom.... Serum protein electrophoreses pattern interpretation: *** weak band in the gamma region which may be a paraprotein peak***And also - IMMUNOFIXATION, SERUM - Faint IGG Lambda Paraprotein Peak Detected.On page 2 - chemistry.... the following:Total Protein 6.2,                                                           6.0-8.3Albumin 4.1,                                                                 3.2-5.6Globulin 2.1,                                                                 2.0-4.5 Sodium 136,                                                                134-149 Potassium 4.1,                                                            3.6-5.5 Chloride 97,                                                                 94-112 BUN 15,                                                                      7-21 Creatinine 0.7,                                                             0.6-1.4BUN/Creat Ratio 21.4,                                                   7-21Calcium 8.9,                                                                 8.5-10.4Bilirubin,Total 1.1 (says HI),                                           0.2-1.3Alk Phos 87,                                                                34-104   AST (SGOT) 20,                                                          5-34ALT (SGPT) 13.                                                            7-52Any help or slight translations would be very much appreciated. Thank you!It appears his numbers are within the range on nearly all of the categories. Why was Dx. Stage III? Was his M-Spike ever really high?Take care;Kevin K. C. Fri, 09 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Jan and Kevin (it's DebJr) - thanks for your replies.Kevin - My dad was Stage III because he was well into it by the time he was diagnosed, with severe bone damage. Multiple lytic lesions in both hips/pelvic area, etc. And then a severe compression fracture of the spine, to top it off. When he was diagnosed, the IGA was 3400. Also, according to the orthopedic we saw once, he has almost no cartilidge left in his left hip / a giant cavity. (p.s. - i'm still not sure what 'M-spike' means exactly)...Hope you are doing well and wish you positive energy in your new transition. Please update us with how you are, whenever you feel like.Jan - As usual, your info was very helpful. Thanks for taking the time. Hope your husband is hanging in there, and you too.And if any Velcade users are reading this, can you tell me for about how long/how many cycles was the Velcade effective for them, before the Myeloma became active again? Also, if the IGA was decreasing successfully for about 5/6 months, and then increased a bit for the first time in months (although only by 15 points) -- could that be an indication that the Myeloma is on its way to return? My dad has been (doing well) on Velcade for 6 months - although after the first month/cycle, he now only receives it once a week (instead of twice).     DebJr Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT