Retrospective assessment of multiple myeloma patients

Multiple myeloma is a neoplastic disease characterized by the monoclonal proliferation of plasma cells originating from B cells. Multiple myeloma (MM) constitute 1% of all malignancies and 10% of all haematological malignancies. The aim of this study is the retrospective determination of demographical and laboratory data at the time of diagnosis, types of immunoglobulins, first referral symptoms of the patients, first referral clinical characteristics and risk factors, stages of disease according to Durie-Salmon and International staging systems for 134 MM patients who had been diagnosed, followed and treated at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine. 134 Multiple myeloma patients who had been diagnosed based on clinical and laboratory findings, bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, and radiological examinations of skeleton system, at Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine and Department of Haematology, between January 1994 and July 2006 were included into this study. Examinations were carried out retrospectively, based on formal patient files and followup files of Department of Haematology. 78 of the patients were male (58%) and male/female ratio was 1,4. The median age was determined as 62 and the highest percent of cases belonged to age 60-69 group (40%). Considering the occupational distribution of the patients, most of them were housewives and officers (36% and 19% respectively). Most of the patients referred from town centre (%49). When the first referral clinics of the patients were scanned, it was determined that (45%) patients generally referred to internal medicine and haematology clinics (%45 and %18 respectively). Considering the first referral complaints of patients, most of them had skeletal pain (waist, dorsum and extremity) and complaints concerning anemia (weakness, fatigue, palpitation, dyspnea) (55% and 31% respectively). At the time of diagnosis osteoporosis and compression fractures were the most common findings. The median serum calcium, creatinine and haemoglobin levels of patients were 9,2 mg/dL, 1,2 mg/dL and 9 g/dL respectively. The most common immunoglobulin type was IgG (%79). According to Durie-Salmon and International staging systems the most common stage was stage 3 (70% and 42% respectively). The median survival time was 42 months. In the thrombocytopenia ( < 100.000 mm³), hypercalcemia ( ≥ 11,5 mg/dL) and elevated serum creatinine ( ≥ 2 mg/dL) groups median survival times were significant lower. Multivariate analyses performed and detect that, thrombocyte, β2 microglobuline, LDH, CRP levels and immunoglobuline type were most important prognostic factors. This is a retrospective analysis of data from a single center. With data and findings from our study, we hope to gather data from other centers in order to form Turkiye data at near future. Key words: Multiple myeloma, demographic and clinical features, survival, prognostic factors.