| Pivotal Assessment | Findings | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| History | Frequent respiratory infections | ||
A 70-year-old man presents with severe bone pain and frequent respiratory infections. Serum protein electrophoresis demonstrates an M protein spike in the gamma region. Radiographs of the skull, long bones, and spine demonstrate multiple “punched-out” lesions, and bone marrow aspiration demonstrates large numbers of neoplastic plasma cells. Which of the following statements is true of this disorder?
A. Although this patient presents at age 70 years, the average age of presentation is at age 50 years.
B. Renal insufficiency is a common cause of death.
C. The M spike is most often an IgM.
D. The M spike is most often polyclonal in nature.
E. This disorder is the most common T-cell neoplasm.