A urine test may be used to check for the Bence Jones protein, which is the light chain part of paraprotein. About one-third of people with myeloma make enough Bence Jones protein for it to be measurable in the urine.
For this test, you may be asked to collect your urine in a container over a 24-hour period. If the Bence Jones protein shows up, you may have regular urine tests to monitor the myeloma and check how well treatment is working.
The Bence Jones protein doesn’t show up in standard blood tests, but it can be detected in a specialised blood test called the serum free light chain assay. Your doctor may recommend this test as well as or instead of the urine test.
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Dr Jane Estell, Senior Staff Specialist, Haematology Department, Concord Cancer Centre, and Senior Clinical Lecturer, The University of Sydney; Brenda Clasquin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council NSW; Jacqui Keogh, Senior Myeloma Support Nurse, Myeloma Australia; Dr Silvia Ling, Haematologist, Liverpool Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital; and John Miller, Consumer.
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