December 2 2009 post. A blog reader who was recently diagnosed with smoldering myeloma wrote to me about his rather high serum free light chain (Freelite) test results. Our exchange reminded me of how puzzled I was back in May when I read my first (ever) Freelite results. At the time, my blog reader Rudi very kindly helped me decipher them, but I neglected to post the link to “The Binding Site, Inc.” Here it is: http://tinyurl.com/ydf78tj So, if you are as confused about your Freelite results as I was, all you have to do is have a look at the chart on this page. Very very helpful. 

If you have no idea what I’m talking about (and if you are a MGUS, SMM or even MM patient and have never had a Freelite test), go have a look at the exhaustive Freelite brochure published in May 2009 by the IMF, International Myeloma Foundation: http://tinyurl.com/ya8qabq Here you will find everything you ever wanted to know about serum free light chains and more…much more! The Freelite test is an important one–and here I must pause for a second to thank my friend Sherlock for suggesting that I have this test in the first place–so, if you belong to the above-mentioned categories, please add it to your list of blood tests. The IMF brochure, by the way, is available in five different languages, including Italian.

And finally, here is an interesting excerpt from a 2008 interview with Guido Tricot, MD, Ph.D. (see page 3 of the Binding Site’s newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/yz7djs6): If you entertain the diagnosis of MGUS or smoldering myeloma and you see a Freelite kappa that’s over 100 mg/L, usually you know this is not MGUS. Hmmm, I don’t find anything “entertaining” about a MGUS or SMM diagnosis , but (okay, seriously, now) my Freelite kappa result is less than half that number. And, in fact, it went down a bit further in October. Based on my results, I fall into the “MGUS with BM suppression” category. Needless to say, I am very pleased…!

December 12 2009 post. A blog reader, thank you!, sent me the link to an online educational resource with continuously updated information on serum free light chain and Hevylite™ analysis set up and maintained by a Binding Site scientific team: http://www.wikilite.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page Its focus is on serum free light chains in multiple myeloma…impressive, really impressive. Ah, and yes, I agree, it’s overwhelming, I myself am still going through it (and, at this rate, it will take me about 10 years to finish!)…but you can narrow down your search by clicking on “Contents” (on the left). For instance, Chapter 30 is devoted to questions and answers. Have a look…(and please have a look at my blog reader Aramis’ comment on this post).