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Understanding Your Lab Results

Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the blood—and the results of blood and other lab tests are important for diagnosing and monitoring multiple myeloma.

Your doctor or nurse will need to test your blood or urine on a regular schedule to see exactly how multiple myeloma affects you. These lab tests will help tell your doctor or nurse if your multiple myeloma is under control.

Below is a list of lab tests that are commonly used to keep an eye on multiple myeloma. Use the chart to help you better understand your results. Many of these terms and tests may be unfamiliar—you can read more about them in the glossary.

As you review these charts, please remember that “normal” ranges may vary slightly from lab to lab. Always rely on your doctor for a full explanation of what your results may mean.

Laboratory Assessment

Normal Range^a

Serum Protein Electrophoresis

Protein

Normal range^a
6-8 g/dL

Albumin

3.3-5.7 g/dL

α₁-Globulin

0.1-0.4 g/dL

α₂-Globulin

0.3-0.9 g/dL

β-Globulin

0.7-1.5 g/dL

γ-Globulin

0.5-1.4 g/dL

Immunoglobulin, Serum

IgA

Normal range^a
61-356 mg/dL

IgG

767-1590 mg/dL

IgM

37-286 mg/dL

Chemistry Profile

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

Normal range^a 7-20 mg/dL

Creatinine

Normal range^a 0.6-1.3 mg/dL

Calcium

Normal range^a 9-10.5 mg/dL

Creatinine clearance

Normal range^a Males: 97-137 mL/min
Normal range^a Females: 88-128 mL/min

Normal range^a
Males: 97-137 mL/min
Females: 88-128 mL/min

Glucose, fasting

Normal range^a 70-100 mg/dL

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)

Normal range^a 105-333 IU/L

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)

Normal range^a 90-120 mL/min/1.73 m²

Normal range^a
90-120 mL/min/1.73 m²

Serum-Free Light Chains

Free kappa

Normal range^a 3.3-19.4 mg/dL

Free lambda

Normal range^a 5.71-26.3 mg/dL

Kappa/lambda ratio

Normal range^a 0.26-1.65

β₂-Microglobulin (B2M)

Normal range^a 0.70-1.80 mg/dL

Complete Blood Count (CBC) With Differential

White blood cell count (WBC)

Normal range^a 3.5-10.5x10⁹/L

Red blood cell count (RBC)

Normal range^a Males: 4.32-5.72 x 10¹²/L
Normal range^a Females: 3.90-5.03 x 10¹²/L

Normal range^a
Males: 4.32-5.72 x 10¹²/L
Females: 3.90-5.03 x 10¹²/L

Hemoglobin (Hgb)

Normal range^a
Males: 13.5-17.5 g/dL (135-175 g/L)
Females: 12.0-15.5 g/dL
(120-155 g/L)

Hematocrit (HCT)

Normal range^a Males: 38.8%-50.0%
Normal range^a Females: 34.9%-44.5%

Normal range^a
Males: 38.8%-50.0%
Females: 34.9%-44.5%

Mean corpuscular volume (MCV)

Normal range^a 79.0-101.0 fL

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH)

Normal range^a 25.0-35.0 pg

Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)

Normal range^a 31.0-37.0 g/dL

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW)

Normal range^a 11.0%-16.0%

Platelets

Normal range^a 150-450 x 10⁹/L

Lymphocytes

Normal range^a 24%-44%

Monocytes

Normal range^a 1.0%-10.0%

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC)

Normal range^a 1.7-7.0 x 10⁹/L

Urine protein electrophoresis

Protein

<167 mg/24 hours

Protein

<167 mg/24 hours

Albumin

<5 mg/dL

α₁-Globulin

α₂-Globulin

β-Globulin

γ-Globulin

^aLab values are ranges based on individual labs; values may vary slightly from lab to lab.

Always discuss your test results with your healthcare team and make sure to ask questions to fully understand what they mean.

Did you like this article?

Did you like this article?

Understanding Your Lab Results

Laboratory Assessment

Normal Rangea

Serum Protein Electrophoresis

Immunoglobulin, Serum

Chemistry Profile

Serum-Free Light Chains

Complete Blood Count (CBC) With Differential

Urine protein electrophoresis

Related information

Understanding Your Blood Tests

Glossary of Multiple Myeloma Terms

Talking With Your Doctor About Multiple Myeloma

Treatment Calendar

Stem Cell Transplant Overview

Normal Range^a