Critical Study of Staging in Multiple Myeloma

130 patients with multiple myeloma were revieved for a retrospective study of their classification according to Durie & Salmon. No significant difference was found in survival between patients in stages I, II and III (median survival 24.8, 32.1, and 17.3 months, respectively). Of the classical criteria affecting survival, only the Hb level showed any significant influence (P < 0.04). In accordance with this finding, the survival time was much shorter (P < 0.001) in patients with renal failure than in patients without (median survival 7.4 and 24.8 months, respectively); in addition, thrombopenia, fever, old age, and above all, the % of bone-marrow plasmocytes present, were shown to be decisive factors.