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Hello, Patty:
I'm sharing my K/L ratio values. They fluctuate, but the trajectory is to inch upwards.
My current Hem/Onc does not seem to think it's anything to worry about and we are just watching it with quarterly lab testing for K and L free light chains and their ratio, CBC, calcium, creatinine level (kidney function). I asked for bone marrow biopsy and/or scan. He said I did not need that.
Prior to the Hem/Onc I'm seeing now, I had seen another one when I was on a different insurance, and he had said the same thing.
I'm open to your thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks.
Date and Value Value Normal Range
Feb 10, 2025 0.26 to 1.65
2.73High
Oct 30, 2024
2.29High
May 31, 2024
2.05High
Feb 17, 2024
2.11High
Aug 30, 2023
2.21High
Feb 19, 2023
2.35High
Jul 28, 2021
1.57
Replies to "Hello, Patty: I'm sharing my K/L ratio values. They fluctuate, but the trajectory is to inch..."
@health95
thanks for the update. My numbers fluctuate a bit but they haven't changed that much in three years since my diagnosis. My oncologist/hematologist always says the same thing. "I'll see you again in six months, (started with quarterly) but this is MGUS. Remember if it should drift into numbers that indicate multiple myeloma it is very treatable."
I can live with that.
You can't really pin him down as to what numbers would be concerning to him but I think that varies from patient to patient. They look at what coexisting conditions you might have and evaluate risk by your age, general health and stamina in addition to your lab analysis and body scans (do ask about those).
I know a lot of of our members have gotten a bone marrow biopsy on the front end of their diagnosis. I opted not to do that after looking at the data and talking to my physician. Many are taking a more conservative approach to bone marrow biopsies and my physician and I agreed that if my numbers started spiraling I would get one. So I think your doctor is thinking along the same lines but if that's concerning to you have another discussion with him or her. No invasive procedure comes without risk although having read about the bone marrow biopsy, it seems as though the risk is low.
I think it's concerning to many patients that there is no treatment for MGUS at least initially. I look at it this way… I get the best medical preventative care of anybody that I know and I don't have to suffer a chemical intervention at this juncture. I may in the future, but for right now I'm living my life and enjoying my friends and family post and hope to continue to do so for the rest of my life.
Are you feeling less stress about the diagnosis?
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I've had MGUS for 8 years and my early K/L ratios were similar to yours, not far from baseline. They started ramping up about 3 years ago and my Kappa is now about 300 and Kappa/Lambda ~28. They still go up and down a bit, but my oncologist told me that I'm fine until my Kappa is in the thousands (hopefully that is the scientist and not the mother hen speaking). I had a baseline BMB 8 years ago and my deranged plasma cells were ~5%; the BMB last summer had 15%, which technically is SMM level, but plasma cells are sticky and clump together, and I have no symptoms from MGUS, so he still has me at MGUS. Even at my level, the chance of it morphing to MM is still low.