Transcript: 

This week's Ask Dr. Durie comes from a lady who wants to know about mass spectrometry. She's heard this phrase and she wants to know: "Is this a test that I should be aware of?" 

And the answer to that question is: Yes, this is an important new testing option. Mass spectrometry is a very sensitive way to measure the level of myeloma protein in the blood or the urine. It is a technique that is an alternative to the standard approach, which is using serum protein electrophoresis. 

Unfortunately, there is a roll-out process where the technology, machinery, and the kits for this have taken some time to be rolled out, so this is still not available as a routine lab test that you can just call in and get done.  This possibility should be available within the next year or so. We're very hopeful about that. 

In the meantime, the International Myeloma Working Group has published some guidelines about mass spectrometry. You can learn more about this background information of this technology that you'll see the power of the sensitive method.

The BOTTOM LINE is that within the next year or two, mass spectrometry testing of myeloma protein in the blood and the urine will be a really important complementary way to assess low levels of myeloma disease. We'll have techniques for measuring minimal residual disease (MRD) and we'll have mass spectrometry. Those two techniques can be used in a complementary way to have very accurate monitoring of the level of myeloma.