The SVCCC Laboratory is located within the Cancer Center and is dedicated solely to oncology, particularly multiple myeloma. Working closely with the myeloma oncologists, the laboratory team uses highly advanced technology and technical skills to help diagnose and stage myeloma, evaluate response to treatment and monitor for reoccurrence and relapse.
Testing for myeloma
The laboratory performs specialized tests that are specific to myeloma patients. The blood and/or urine are examined for abnormal proteins, called immunoglobulins, that tend to build up to high levels in myeloma. Basically, the more immunoglobulin that is present, the more advanced the myeloma. Assessing changes and proportions of these proteins, particularly the "M" or monoclonal immunoglobulin (produced by the tumor cells), helps track the progression of myeloma disease and response to treatment.
The clinical laboratory scientists also perform a variety of routine procedures on blood and urine samples including: blood counts, coagulation tests, glucose, calcium, electrolytes, liver and kidney function markers, phosphorus, magnesium, and other biochemical levels.
Leading technology with faster results
The SVCCC laboratory uses state-of-the-art technology along with specialized clinical laboratory scientists to measure and characterize myeloma proteins. Because lab results are critical to a patient's timely assessment and management, it is important to get the lab results to the treatment team quickly. By bringing the sophisticated technology into the Cancer Center, we are able to quickly turn around results, and ultimately, improve patient care.
- Protein electrophoresis and immunofixation are the methods used to find, quantitate, and characterize monoclonal immunoglobulins. These tests are quite complex and labor intensive and have been associated with long turnaround times for results (3-4 days). The Cancer Center laboratory, using highly advanced technology and finely tuned innovative processes, has reduced this time to less than 24 hours. Faster turnaround times allow for better, timelier patient monitoring.
- Quantitative immunoglobulin tests (IgG, IgA and IgM) measure the blood levels of normal and malignant antibody proteins. The turnaround time for these tests in the past has been from 24-48 hours. With the recent addition of one of the most advanced immunochemistry analyzers available, the laboratory reports quantitative immunoglobulin levels in less than 30 minutes.
- Serum free light chains are a relatively new myeloma protein marker, which is proving to be extremely valuable in assessing myeloma patients. The test is only available in selected centers around the country. Standard turnaround time has been 49-72 hours. The Cancer Center laboratory is currently in the process of validating a new analyzer that quickly and accurately measures free light chain proteins in the blood in less than 30 minutes.
These dramatically reduced turnaround times for myeloma related tests have already resulted in an improvement in the way we care for our patients at SVCCC. Patients can come in, have their blood drawn, and get the results that same day. No longer do patients have to come in several days prior to their physician appointment to have their lab tests processed.
Quick and easy access to digital pictures
Sometimes the malignant cells, called plasma cells, enter the bloodstream. These cells can be difficult to detect, however the CCC laboratory scientists are quite skilled at identifying and enumerating these elusive cells. The presence of plasma cells in the blood is significant because they indicate a poorer prognosis. When circulating plasma are found, the clinical laboratory scientists use a sophisticated camera attached to a microscope to take pictures of these malignant cells. These pictures are emailed to clinicians for their review. The pictures are also placed in individual patient files and uploaded and saved on a secure computer, so the myeloma team has quick and easy access to an ongoing file of their patients' laboratory findings.
