The Freelite® serum free light chain assay can be used to detect disease progression in Intact Immunoglobulin Multiple Myeloma patients who at relapse switch to production of light chains only.

A model of light chain escape in a hypothetical patient with IIMM. Dual plasma cell subsets are present at diagnosis producing either monoclonal intact immunoglobulin and FLC or FLC alone. In response to chemotherapy, intact immunoglobulin and serum FLC concentrations fall (FLC fall more rapidly due to their shorter half life). Disease relapse with light chain escape is associated with proliferation of the light chain only plasma cell clone but not the intact immunoglobulin producing clone. This leads to a marked rise in serum FLC but no associated change in the intact immunoglobulin concentration.

• LC escape is associated with increased tumour growth²
• LC escape is indicative of disease progression²
• Patients with light chain escape may have a poorer prognosis¹

• Longer patient survival³
• Modern therapies³
• Use of Freelite® serum FLC assay is likely to improve detection rates³

Summary

• Improved Patient Management - Freelite® can be used to monitor the majority of Multiple Myeloma patients
• FLC may be useful when there are low concentrations of intact immunoglobulin which makes measurement unreliable
• Use Freelite® to allow prompt identification and treatment of relapsing IIMM patients with light chain escape

Patient Management

Patient Management

References

References