Advantages and Challenges of Blood-Based Testing in Multiple Myeloma

A wave of blood-based tests are being researched for myeloma care, and for good reason. Patients love the idea of replacing the painful bone marrow biopsy with a blood-based test, especially if it is equally effective. In addition to being less time consuming and painful, blood-based testing could be performed more regularly to provide more information to patients and their doctors.  The types of test vary. They include mass spectometry testing, blood-based MRD testing and circulating tumor cell testing. Many of these tools are still only used in research, but they are getting closer to being used in the myeloma clinic. Each of the tests have unique ways of providing a less invasive way of testing for myeloma at diagnosis and after treatment.  Ola Landgren, MD, PhD of the University of Miami Sylvester Cancer Center joins HealthTree Podcast for Multiple Myeloma to review the different types of tests, how they function, what they measure, pros and cons of each and how they are and could be used in regular myeloma practice. As we continue to see these tests advance, it's a great idea to start becoming more familiar with the test types, test names and reasons for their use. Thanks to our episode sponsor, GSK