A recent study, conducted by the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), has demonstrated the benefits of whole body computed tomography (WBCT) compared to conventional skeletal survey (CSS) for identifying osteolytic lesions in myeloma. The study, published in Blood Cancer Journal, found that WBCT is more sensitive than CSS in detecting skeletal lesions, with 20-25% patients having negative CSS results and positive WBCT results. Further, the additional lesions detected by WBCT were found to be prognostically relevant for disease progression in patients with smouldering myeloma.
This study provides further evidence to support the recent revision of the IMWG guidelines which now include WBCT as part of the diagnostic criteria for myeloma.