DNA-IMAGE CYTOMETRY AND CLINICAL STAGING SYSTEMS IN MULTIPLE-MYELOMA

Clinical and hematological parameters, and three derived major staging systems were compared with DNA-cytometric parameters in 73 patients w ith newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) and correlated in univariate analysis with survival to assess their predictive value. Regarding di agnostic validity, a multi-parameter system including STL, ScER, PRF a nd MNA correctly classified 92% of MM as malignant (sensitivity 92%) a t a 200% specificity. Regarding prognosis, the most powerful single cl inical parameter was serum creatinine (p < 0.001, median survival [ms] 51 vs. 14 months) followed by platelet count (p < 0.01, ms 67 vs. 11 months). Mean nuclear area of plasma cells was the only cytometric par ameter with prognostic relevance (p < 0.05, ms 43 vs. 14 months). Neit her the original Salmon-Durie staging (p <0.05 for I vs. II, p > 0.05 for II vs. III) nor the revised Salmon-Durie staging by Cavo et al wer e able to discriminate three patient groups at statistically significa nt levels. Only the staging system proposed by the British Medical Res earch Council (MRC) was found to be able to predict survival for all t hree gr oups significantly (p = 0.02 for A vs. B, p < 0.01 for B vs. C ; ms A/B/C = 68/37/14 months, respectively).