Annual Whole-Body, Low-Dose CT Aids Management of Smoldering Multiple Myeloma

TUESDAY, April 22, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- Annual whole-body, low-dose computed tomography (WBLDCT) can improve the management of smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), according to a study published online March 25 in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.Ioannis Ntanasis-Stathopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., from the General Alexandra Hospital and National and Kapodistrian University of Athens in Greece, and colleagues evaluated the role of WBLDCT in the early identification of bone progression in patients with SMM. The analysis included 113 patients monitored with annual WBLDCT assessments.The researchers found that 36.3 percent of participants progressed to symptomatic multiple myeloma. Nearly one in 10 with progression (9.7 percent) progressed solely with bone lesions."In conclusion, the evidence presented underscores the crucial role of early detection of disease progression among SMM patients and highlights WBLDCT as a valuable imaging modality in this setting," the authors write. "Given the strong association between radiologically detected bone lesions and progression risk, incorporating yearly WBLDCT assessments into the standard practice of SMM care can help refine patient monitoring and management."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter