What is light chain disease symptoms?

What is light chain disease symptoms?

What are the symptoms? The symptoms a person has vary based on the reason for the light chain production. Symptoms can be related to the disease as it affects your body as a whole, such as weakness and fatigue, weight loss, bone pain, or numbness/tingling of your arms or legs.

How is LCDD diagnosed?

Diagnosis of light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) LCDD is often found when a person is evaluated for proteinuria or nephrotic syndrome and a renal biopsy is performed. The tiny piece of removed kidney tissue is examined under an electron microscope and light chains deposited in the kidney can be seen.

What is light chain disease Kappa type?

A kappa free light chain test is a quick blood test that measures certain proteins in your blood. High levels of these proteins may mean you have a plasma cell disorder. A healthcare provider might order a kappa free light chain test if you have symptoms such as bone pain or fatigue.

What does LCDD stand for?

Light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) is the deposition of monoclonal light chains in multiple organs. It is a rare disease characterized by deposition of nonamyloid immunoglobulin light chains, and they do not stain with Congo red and do not exhibit a fibrillar structure when examined ultrastructurally.

How long can you live with light chain disease?

Median survival for patients with light-chain deposition disease (LCDD) is about 4 years. The largest series published so far has reported after a median follow-up of 27 months; 57% of patients developed uremia and 59% of patients died.

How long can you live with light chain myeloma?

Only about 5 to 10 percent of cases progress to light chain amyloidosis, and it can affect any organ except for the brain. The heart and kidney are most commonly affected. If more than 2 organs are affected, the estimated survival time of light chain myeloma is 13 months without treatment.

Is LCDD fatal?

After 5 years, about 37% of patients with LCDD are alive and do not have end stage renal disease.

How is LCDD treated?

There is no standard treatment for patients with LCDD. Chemotherapy with alkylating agents and steroids has shown modest results. High-dose melphalan (HDM) with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) has been used in some patients and has led to improvement of renal function.

What does MGUS mean?

A benign condition in which there is a higher-than-normal level of a protein called M protein in the blood. Patients with MGUS are at an increased risk of developing cancer. Also called monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

Is light chain a terminal disease?

Is light chain myeloma worse?

LCMM has a worse prognosis than other more common MM types, so a rapid diagnosis and early treatment are vital for improving patient outcomes.