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A blood test is a medical procedure where a sample of a person's blood is taken (called a blood draw) and sent to a lab for analysis. Knowing the results of blood tests helps a physician better understand a patient’s overall health or specific aspects of their health.
Blood tests are important for detecting cancer, like multiple myeloma, and are often used in combination with other tests. For example, certain blood tests can measure biomarkers, which are substances that are often released by cancer cells into the bloodstream. These tests can help physicians identify specific types of cancer and the stage it is at. If a person is being treated, blood tests are also used to monitor how well treatment is working, and to check for signs of the disease coming back.
Substances that Blood Tests Can Detect
Blood tests used to diagnose multiple myeloma can measure levels of:
- Albumin: A blood protein. If the level is low, it can be a sign of myeloma.
- Beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH): Tested to help determine the disease stage and how much tissue damage has occurred.
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine: Tested to find out how the kidneys are functioning.
- Calcium: These levels may be higher in people who have advanced myeloma.
- Complete blood count (CBC): Tests levels of red cells, white cells and platelets.
- Monoclonal protein or myeloma protein (M-protein or M-spike): This is an abnormal protein produced by extra plasma cells that are cancerous. Most patients with myeloma have this protein in their blood.
Why Choose Fred Hutch for Blood Testing for Multiple Myeloma
Your Fred Hutch physicians are experts in diagnosing and treating multiple myeloma and will study your blood tests and bone marrow biopsy results to learn more about your multiple myeloma. These test results will be used to stage your cancer and can help predict what will happen with your disease and find out which organs in your body are affected.
Many blood draws for diseases or conditions do not require any preparation. Other draws may require a patient to prepare, such as fast (not eat food or drink certain beverages) for a certain amount time. For blood tests for multiple myeloma, you typically will not need to prepare. However, always check with your health care team.
If you believe you will feel nervous or faint before or when having a blood draw, or have a history of fainting during a blood draw, discuss this with your care team prior to your appointment. They can give you strategies to help you manage these issues.
A health care professional trained to draw blood, called a phlebotomist, or another skilled provider will begin by tying a rubber tourniquet (band) around your upper arm. This helps make the veins in your arm more visible and easier to find. Next, they will clean your skin, usually on the inside of your elbow, using a cotton ball with alcohol. One prepared, they will insert a small needle into a vein to collect a very small amount of blood, which flows into a tube that is attached to the needle.
The process usually takes only a few seconds and feels like a tiny pinprick. Once enough blood is collected, the provider will remove the needle and press a new cotton ball on the area to stop any bleeding. A small bandage is then placed over the spot. At this point, you are done and your blood sample will be sent to a lab for testing.
Blood tests do not have side effects. The possible risks are typically very minor, unless a person has a bleeding disorder, so if you have one, discuss this with your physician before your blood draw. The most common problem for most people after a blood draw is bruising at the site where the needle is inserted. Because blood is drawn in a highly sterile environment by trained medical professionals, the risk of infection is very low.