Plasma Cell Dyscrasias

What are Circulating Tumor Plasma Cells?

Last update: November 1st, 2021

Despite the clinical prognostic value of NGF evaluation of MRD in the bone marrow, sampling is very invasive and cannot be done frequently. Less-invasive approaches can be applied for the detection of Circulating Tumor Plasma Cells (CTPC) in peripheral blood of PCD patients providing diagnostic and risk stratification information.

CTPC role in the disease is not clear, but they are suspected to be involved in the dissemination process of the disease to different locations of the bone marrow. Finding higher numbers of CTPC in early stages of the disease (MGUS) can give an indication of increased risk of progression and, on the other hand, when their amount is reduced in MM myeloma patients, will allow identification of patients with good long-term outcome.

Resources

Tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma diagnosis

Tests to Find Multiple Myeloma

Publications:

  1. Jelinek T, et al. Current applications of multiparameter flow cytometry in plasma cell disorders [published correction appears in Blood Cancer J. 2018 Jan 19;8(1):e621]. Blood Cancer J. 2017;7(10):e61. Go to publication.
  2. Sanoja-Flores L, et al. Next generation flow for minimally-invasive blood characterization of MGUS and multiple myeloma at diagnosis based on circulating tumor plasma cells (CTPC). Blood Cancer J. 2018 Nov;8(12):117. Go to publication.
  3. Li Jet al. Prognostic value of circulating plasma cells in patients with multiple myeloma: A meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2017 Jul;12(7):e0181447.  Go to publication.
  4. Sanoja-Flores L, et al. Blood monitoring of circulating tumor plasma cells by next generation flow in multiple myeloma after therapy. Blood. 2019 Oct; 8(12):epub. Go to publication.