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
. 2023 Jun 29;58(3):361-367.
doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1770149. eCollection 2023 Jun.

Multiple Myeloma (Part 1) - Update on Epidemiology, Diagnostic Criteria, Systemic Treatment and Prognosis

Alex Guedes  1   2   3 , Ricardo Gehrke Becker  4 , Luiz Eduardo Moreira Teixeira  5
Affiliations

Multiple Myeloma (Part 1) - Update on Epidemiology, Diagnostic Criteria, Systemic Treatment and Prognosis

Alex Guedes et al. Rev Bras Ortop (Sao Paulo). .

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by unregulated and clonal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow; these cells produce and secrete an anomalous monoclonal immunoglobulin, or a fragment of this, called M protein. The clinical manifestations of MM result from the proliferation of these plasmocytes, the excessive production of monoclonal immunoglobulin and the suppression of normal humoral immunity, leading to hypercalcemia, bone destruction, renal failure, suppression of hematopoiesis and humoral immunity, increasing the risk for the development of infections. The increase in life expectancy of the world population led to a concomitant increase in the prevalence of MM, a pathology that usually affects the elderly population. The aim of this review is to update the reader on epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis with other monoclonal gammopathies, systemic treatment and prognosis of MM.

Keywords: epidemiology; monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance; multiple myeloma; plasmacytoma; prognosis; smoldering multiple myeloma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflito de Interesses Os autores declaram não haver conflitos de interesses.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
( A–E ) Main anatomical locations of MM. ( A ) skull; ( B ) costal arches; ( C ) femur; and ( D, E ) spine.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
( A, B ) Female patient, 68 years old, afro-descendant, with MM, presenting bone lesion in the proximal segment of the left humerus.
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
( A–E ) Principais localizações anatômicas do MM. ( A ) crânio; ( B ) arcos costais; ( C ) fêmur; e, ( D, E ) coluna.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
( A, B ) Paciente feminina, 68 anos, negra, portadora de MM, apresentando lesão óssea no segmento proximal do úmero esquerdo.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health. National Cancer Institute. USA.gov [Internet]Rockville: NIH National Cancer Institute; c2022. NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms; Definition of Multiple Myeloma [cited 2022 Abr 16]. Available from:https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/multip...
    1. American Cancer Society [Internet]Atlanta American Cancer Society; c2020. About multiple myeloma [cited 2020 Mar 12]. Available from:https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/what-is-multiple-my...
    1. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons [Internet]Orthoinfo; c2020. Diseases & Conditions: Multiple Myeloma/Plasmacytoma [cited 2020 Mar 12]. Available from:https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases–conditions/multiple-myelomaplasma...
    1. Silva R OP, Brandão K MA, Pinto P VM et al. Mieloma múltiplo: características clínicas e laboratoriais ao diagnóstico e estudo prognóstico. Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter. 2009;31(02):63–68.
    1. Kyle R A, Gertz M A, Witzig T E et al. Review of 1027 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Mayo Clin Proc. 2003;78(01):21–33. - PubMed