▁ 0 . 5 x 1 0 9 ▁or ▁ 5 %, ▁respectively , ▁may ▁be ▁more ▁appropriate ▁from ▁a ▁th era pe ut ic ▁view point ▁and ▁therefore ▁should ▁be ▁studied ▁as ▁a ▁definit ive ▁criter ion ▁for ▁the ▁disease . ▁A ▁recent ▁study ▁supported ▁this ▁suggestion ▁in ▁finding ▁that ▁multiple ▁my el oma ▁patients ▁with ▁> 5 % ▁circul ating ▁pl asma ▁cells ▁had ▁a ▁pro gn osis ▁much ▁worse ▁than ▁that ▁for ▁multiple ▁my el oma ▁and ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁for ▁pl asma ▁cell ▁le uk emia . ▁Flow ▁c yt ometry ▁imm un oph en ot yp ing ▁of ▁blood ▁cells ▁to ▁detect ▁cl onal ▁phen ot ypes ▁of ▁pl asma ▁cells ▁seen ▁in ▁multiple ▁my el oma ▁( e . g . ▁the ▁CD 1 3 8 + , ▁CD 3 8 + , ▁CD 1 9 − , ▁CD 4 5 + /- ▁phen ot ype ) ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁more ▁sensitive ▁method ▁to ▁enumerate ▁circul ating ▁cl onal ▁pl asma ▁cells ▁and ▁diagn ose ▁pl asma ▁cell ▁le uk emia . ▁ ▁Tre at ments ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁newly ▁developed ▁dru gs ▁and ▁treatment ▁reg im ens , ▁median ▁surv ival ▁rates ▁from ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁diagn osis ▁for ▁p P CL ▁and ▁s P CL ▁were ▁ 8 – 1 1 ▁months ▁and ▁ 2 – 8 ▁months , ▁respectively , ▁even ▁when ▁treated ▁very ▁ag gress ively ▁with ▁the ▁V AD ▁reg imen ▁of ▁v inc rist ine , ▁do x