How frequently should a Multiple Myeloma patient receive urine tests?

Posted by hopefuldaughter @hopefuldaughter, Aug 13, 2022

My father is in his 1st round of chemo (VRD) for Multiple Myeloma. He is a Mayo Patient and a hopeful SCT patient in Nov. at Mayo, Rochester. However, he is doing his VRD treatment with a hematology group elsewhere near home. They have conducted weekly blood tests but haven’t done ANY urine tests in over 4 weeks. Just wondering if that’s standard protocol? I would think they’d want to monitor his kidney function during treatment and would have thought the urine (ACR test Albumin to Creatinine Ratio) test would be performed regularly?? Any thoughts regarding this?

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Lori, Volunteer Mentor | @loribmt | Aug 13, 2022

Hi @hopefuldaughter, during all of the months of cancer treatment for Acute Myleoid Leukemia and the subsequent bone marrow transplant and recovery (3 years) I’ve only had 1 urine test and that was part of my pretransplant testing.

There has been a shift away from doing a routine urinalysis because they can provide false positives. Currently, most diseases that are detected with urinalysis can be diagnosed much earlier with blood tests. Since blood testing is more common in doctors' offices now and urinalysis adds little new information, many doctors no longer do it.

I’m pretty sure your dad’s kidney function/creatinine levels are tested routinely on almost every blood test he has run. It will show up as Creatinine, BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) and eGFR levels.
Have you seen these numbers on his lab results?

hopefuldaughter | @hopefuldaughter | Aug 13, 2022

@loribmt You’re the best! Thank you for putting my mind at ease. This is very helpful to know.

wyom1998 | @wyom1998 | Aug 15, 2022

My bloodwork includes those tests.
I have never had separate urine test in a year and a half

helen1313 | @helen1313 | Aug 16, 2022

Why do my hands & feet turn red
If I hold something long my fingers
Get red

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Aug 18, 2022

In reply to @helen1313 "Why do my hands & feet turn red If I hold something long my fingers Get..." + (show)

Welcome @helen1313. Have you seen a doctor about the redness of your extremities, like your hands and feet? Have you been diagnosed with multiple myeloma?