Ten‐year survivors with multiple myeloma

Abstract

Of 130 Japanese patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma who were treated between 1970 and 1989, nine (6.9%) patients survived for more than 10 years. Younger age, low and intermediate tumour mass, chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, the disappearance of myeloma protein, and a positive response to retreatment were correlated with long-term survival.

Long-term survival in multiple myeloma: a single-center experience

“…This indicates that the extensive skeletal involvement should not be strictly considered a poor prognostic factor. Conversely, in the same studies [11][12][13][14][15][16] the absence of renal failure at presentation in patients with prolonged survival showed that this feature is a favourable prognostic factor. Three of our patients presented with renal impairment at diagnosis.…”

“…In similar reports [11][12][13][14][15][16] dealing with MM patients surviving ≥10 years, aged ≤65 years, with a low and intermediate tumour mass, response to initial chemotherapy and good control of relapsing disease were regarded as favourable factors. It is noteworthy that in almost all longsurviving patients, including 17 of our 21, extensive lytic bone lesions were observed.…”

“…The literature, however, is by no means devoid of instances of 10-year survival following conventional chemotherapy [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. This points to the existence of a possibly "low-risk" subset of patients whose unexpectedly long survival is due to largely unknown reasons.…”