What is POEMS Syndrome?

What is POEMS syndrome?

That's a complex syndrome. POEMS syndrome, It's an abbreviation of polyneuropathy, meaning tingling, numbness, sometimes even other neurological symptoms
organomegaly meaning organs are swollen. Endocrinopathy meaning that there are hormonal organs involved that can have changes. Monoclonal gammopathy obviously that's what connected to MGUS and myeloma and then either skin lesions or sclerotic lesions. Skin lesions can be certain changes in the skin and other sclerotic lesions can be an imaging where we see that the patient's instead of the acidity lesions. We know from myeloma those patients can have sclerotic lesions. It's a it's very rare, POEMS syndrome. But there are some criteria. There are major and minor criteria. And then we can define if a patient who has neuropathy and then MGUS, if they fulfill the criteria for POEMS, which is relevant because poems we will treat similar to myeloma, while a lot of other patients have, for example, in neuropathy because of diabetes and gammopathy and it's not connected at all. So if it's connected, then it should be further that should be further work up to find out if it's a POEMS syndrome.

Is POEMS syndrome considered a precursor condition for multiple myeloma?

I think there's no clear definition of it. It is a separate similar to amyloidosis, which is also related to myeloma and gammopathy but not exactly the same. So POEMS has some different biology. So I wouldn't say it's a myeloma, but the treatment because it's also caused by monoclonal plasma cells. The treatment is very similar to myeloma.