Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical and laboratory features of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Records of all patients in whom multiple myeloma was initially diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn, from January 1, 1985, to December 31, 1998, were reviewed.
RESULTS: Of the 1027 study patients, 2\% were younger than 40 years, and 38\% were 70 years or older. The median age was 66 years. Anemia was present initially in 73\% of patients, hypercalcemia (calcium level \textgreater or = 11 mg/dL) in 13\%, and a serum creatinine level of 2 mg/dL or more in 19\%. The beta2-microglobulin level was increased in 75\%. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed a localized band in 82\% of patients, and immunoelectrophoresis or immunofixation showed a monoclonal protein in 93\%. A monoclonal light chain was found in the urine in 78\%. Nonsecretory myeloma was recognized in 3\% of patients, whereas light-chain myeloma was present in 20\%. Conventional radiographs showed an abnormality in 79\%. The plasma cell labeling index was 1\% or more in 34\% of patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that age, plasma cell labeling index, low platelet count, serum albumin value, and the log of the creatinine value were the most important prognostic factors.
CONCLUSION: The median duration of survival was 33 months and did not improve from 1985 through 1998.
- 80
- adult,
- aged,
- albumin,
- analysis
- analysis,
- and
- anemia,
- blood
- cohort
- count,
- creatinine,
- diagnosis,
- differential,
- electrophoresis,
- female,
- humans,
- hypercalcemia,
- immunoelectrophoresis,
- male,
- medical
- middle
- multiple
- multivariate
- myeloma,
- of
- over,
- paraproteinemias,
- platelet
- predictive
- prognosis,
- protein
- records,
- retrospective
- serum
- studies,
- survival
- tests,
- value
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