A Snapshot of Myeloma

Incidence and Mortality

Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma or plasma cell myeloma, is the second most common blood cancer in the United States and constitutes approximately 1 percent of all cancers. Over the past two decades, the overall incidence and mortality rates of myeloma have remained fairly stable.

Men have a higher incidence of myeloma than women. In addition, African Americans have approximately twice the incidence and mortality rates of whites.

It is estimated that 21,700 individuals will be diagnosed with myeloma in the United States in 2012, and 10,710 people will die as a result of the disease.

Risk factors for myeloma include a family history of myeloma and a personal history of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. There is no standard or routine screening test for myeloma. Standard treatments for myeloma include chemotherapy, corticosteroid therapy, treatment with angiogenesis inhibitors, targeted therapy, stem cell transplant, biological therapy, radiation therapy, and supportive care.

Trends in NCI Funding for Myeloma Research

The National Cancer Institute's (NCI) investment¹ in myeloma research increased from $32.3 million in fiscal year (FY) 2007 to $54.9 million in FY 2011. In addition to this funding, NCI supported $5.6 million in myeloma research in FY 2009 and 2010 using funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).²

Examples of NCI Activities Relevant to Myeloma

• A myeloma study is under way as part of the Patterns of Care/Quality of Care (POC/QOC) Studies, an initiative aimed at evaluating and improving the dissemination of recommended cancer treatments into community practice.
• The Mouse Models of Human Cancers Consortium (MMHCC) has developed several mouse models of myeloma that are available to the research community.
• The Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network conducts large, multi-institutional clinical trials that address important issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to establish optimal treatment strategies.
• NCI funds Supportive and Palliative Care Clinical Trials that explore ways to manage the physical, psychological, and emotional side effects of cancer and cancer therapies, including those experienced by patients undergoing treatment for myeloma.
• In NCI's Natural History Study of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Smoldering Myeloma (SMM) clinical trial, researchers will follow patients who have conditions that can progress to multiple myeloma to characterize the clinical course of these conditions and to identify risk factors for progression to full-blown multiple myeloma.
• Two myeloma-specific Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) are working to move results from the laboratory to the clinical setting. The SPOREs are trying to identify the genes involved in myeloma and to develop novel targeted therapies to treat this disease.

Selected Advances in Myeloma Research

• In a clinical study of patients with multiple myeloma who had been treated with immunomodulatory drugs, early and delayed stem cell transplantation (SCT) resulted in similar overall survival and time to progression as early SCT. Published August 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• A potent, selective inhibitor of DNA-associated proteins slowed the growth of multiple myeloma in several mouse models by turning off a critical gene. Published September 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• In a mouse model, vaccination with a tumor-associated antigen was able to prevent myeloma from developing and to treat established myeloma. Published November 2011. [PubMed Abstract]
• Results of a preclinical study suggest that a two-drug combination therapy may slow multiple myeloma growth and extend survival. Published January 2012. [PubMed Abstract]
• See this PubMed list of selected free full-text journal articles on NCI-supported research relevant to myeloma. You can also search PubMed for additional scientific articles.