Liquid biopsy of peripheral blood using mass spectrometry detects primary extramedullary disease in multiple myeloma patients

Extramedullary disease (EMD) is a more aggressive form of multiple myeloma (MM). Researchers found that MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry fingerprinting of blood, combined with machine learning, can accurately distinguish between MM and primary EMD patients, with high sensitivity, accuracy, and specificity. This minimally invasive method is fast, cost-effective, and holds promise as a clinical tool for identifying primary EMD.