Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Apr 20:10.1111/ejh.13083.
doi: 10.1111/ejh.13083. Online ahead of print.

Rapidly changing myeloma epidemiology in the general population: Increased incidence, older patients, and longer survival

Ingemar Turesson  1 , Magnus Bjorkholm  2 , Cecilie Hveding Blimark  3 , Sigurdur Kristinsson  4 , Ramon Velez  5 , Ola Landgren  6
Affiliations
Review

Rapidly changing myeloma epidemiology in the general population: Increased incidence, older patients, and longer survival

Ingemar Turesson et al. Eur J Haematol. .

Abstract

The incidence of multiple myeloma is characterized by a steep increase with advancing age. Dramatic improvements in survival have been reported in clinical trials; however, elderly patients are generally underrepresented in these. The aims of this study are to review patterns of incidence and survival in multiple myeloma in the general population. We searched PubMed for population-based studies on trends in incidence and survival published between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2017 and based on regional or national cancer registries and report the following results of the review. The age-adjusted incidence of multiple myeloma has increased during the second half of the twentieth century in some countries but remained stable in areas with high case ascertainment and access to universal medical care. The crude incidence is increasing globally due to an aging population. Survival rates have improved, and 5-year relative survival rates are now around 50% and over 60% in patients 65-70 years or younger. Preliminary data suggest a 3-fold increase in the prevalence of multiple myeloma. We conclude that the number of multiple myeloma patients is increasing in the general population due to (i) aging populations and (ii) more patients living longer due to modern drugs.

Keywords: incidence; multiple myeloma; overall survival; prevalence; trends.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Alexander DD, Mink PJ, Adami HO, Col P, Mandel JS, Oken M, Trichopoulos D. Multiple myeloma: a review of the epidemiologic literature. International Journal of Cancer. 20(Suppl 12):40–61. 212. - PubMed
    1. Kyle RA, Therneau TM, Rajkumar SV, Larson DR, Plevak MF, Melton LJ., III Incidence of multiple myeloma in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Trend over 6 decades. Cancer. 101:2667–2674. 20014. - PubMed
    1. Turesson I, Velez R, Kristinsson SY, Landgren O. Patterns of Multiple Myeloma during the past 5 decades: Stable incidence rates for all age groups in the population but rapidly changing age distribution in the Clinic. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2010;85:225–230. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Blimark CH, Turesson I, Genell A, Ahlberg L, Björkstrand B, Carlson K, Forsberg K, Juliusson G, Linder O, Mellqvist UH, Nahi H, Kristinsson SY. Outcome and survival of myeloma patients diagnosed 2008–2015. Real world data on 4904 patients from the Swedish Myeloma Registry (SMR) Haematologica. 2017;103:506–513. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Teras LR, DeSantis CE, Cerhan JR, Morton LM, Jemal A, Flowers C. 2016 US lymphoid malignancy statistics by world health organization subtypes. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. 2016;66:443–459. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources