Specific Cancers
Specific Cancers:
Myeloma One Stop Clinic
Overview
The Myeloma One Stop Clinic is for patients who have been referred by their GP for blood tests or scan findings that suggest a possible diagnosis of Myeloma.
Myeloma is a relatively uncommon, but treatable blood cancer. Some patients may not have any symptoms at all. Around 17 patients are diagnosed with this condition each day in the UK.
The aim of the RUH One Stop clinic is to prevent any delays in diagnosis, so that patients who are diagnosed with myeloma can be started on treatment quickly. However, not all patients with possible myeloma will need to be assessed through the one stop clinic – the decision for referral to this clinic is based on individual circumstances, and timing of appointments will be tailored to each patient.
What to expect on the day
If you have been referred to this clinic, you will have already received a letter to explain the steps that will happen on the day. You will also have received appointments for the two main diagnostic tests – a bone marrow biopsy and a PET-CT scan (see below). The appointments will start in the morning and can last until the evening. It may be helpful to have a family member or close friend accompany you (please do not bring a child or pregnant woman due to the radiation from the scan).
Where to find Cancer Services [A22]
The clinic runs on a Tuesday morning in the Dyson Cancer Centre at the RUH.
You are likely to have already had some blood tests done by your GP, but further blood tests will be sent on the day. You will be seen by a Haematology Consultant to review how you are and discuss the test results that have led to your referral. The clinic is also supported by our Nurse specialists who will be present at the appointment.
Bone marrow biopsy
Following your appointment with the Haematology consultant you will have an appointment for a bone marrow biopsy.
If you are on blood thinning medications (such as apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, warfarin, clopidogrel), please contact the Haematology Secretaries on 01225 821793 or send an email to ruh-tr.haematologysecs@nhs.net as you may need to pause your medication before the biopsy. Please do not stop taking your blood thinning medication until you have received advice from our team on how to do this.
Bone marrow biopsies are done under local anaesthetic by haematology professionals. Please refer to your information sheet with regards to the details of the procedure. If you are worried about the procedure, gas and air or a light sedative can be given to you on the day. It can take up to 21 days to receive the results of the biopsy.
PET-CT scan
Lastly, you will have an afternoon appointment in the Radiology department for the PET-CT scan. This is done in the Clinical Imaging & Measurement department [B58].
This is an imaging technique that uses small quantities of a radioactive injection (a sugar) to produce information about the anatomy (CT) and function (PET) of your internal organs. The process from start to finish can take 3 hours, although the scan itself only usually lasts 20-30 minutes.
You will have been given written instructions about fasting before the scan, and what to expect. Please refer to this information sheet for more details.
Questions
We understand that this can be a worrying time for you and your family.
Some people may find it helpful to read more about the tests and condition further – we would only advise looking at a reliable source such as the Myeloma UK website or contacting the Myeloma UK Infoline (freephone service) on 0800 980 3332, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.
If you have any questions or concerns before your appointment, you can contact:
- The Haematology Secretaries on 01225 821793 or email
ruh-tr.haematologysecs@nhs.net
- The Haematology Nurse Specialist Team on 01225 825091 or email
ruh-tr.haemcns@nhs,net
You can also contact our local Bath Myeloma patient support group bathmyeloma@gmail.com
Please be aware that if contacting our secretarial or nurse team, they may not be immediately available, so please leave a message and they will get back in touch as soon as possible.
Please then allow 24 hours for our team to respond to your message.