Prognostic factors in multiple myeloma

There is significant variation in the survival of patients with myeloma. Th is article reviews the major prognostic factors in myeloma and the evidence supporting their usefulness in clinical practice and research. The factors reviewed include serum beta,microglobulin, bone marrow plasma cell labelin g index, cytogenetics, plasmablastic morphology, and other standard clinica l laboratory variables. Novel factors such as bone marrow angiogenesis are also discussed. A combination of independent factors provides greater progn ostic information than any one factor alone, and survival data using variou s combinations of prognostic factors are presented.