3 years survival of patients with multiple myeloma

• Published in: MediSur Vol. 4; no. 3; pp. 8 - 13
• Main Authors: Julio Dámaso Fernández Águila, Alexander García Blay, Luis Alberto Corona Martínez, Maritza Cabrera Zamora, Leovaldo Prieto Jiménez, Tamara Guerra Alfonso
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Centro Provincial de Información de Ciencias Médicas. Cienfuegos 01-12-2006
• Subjects: factores de riesgo; mieloma múltiple; pronóstico
• ISSN: 1727-897X

Background: The survival of patients with multiple myeloma varies. Frequently we don’t identify the patients that could be cured with advanced therapies, nor even recognize those, in which we expect a long survival with the classic treatment measures. That’s why it is necessary the study of prognosis factors to achieve an optimum stratification and to individualize the pattern to follow. Objectives: To determine the 3 years survival of the patients with multiple mieloma and the factors that influence it. Methods: A descriptive study of a series of cases of 50 patients with multiple mieloma. The socio-demographic characteristics were studied, as well as the clinic-humoral state, type of treatment and response to it, the over life curves were calculated by the estimates of Kaplan-Meier. A uni-varied analysis was made for which the patients were stratified in groups, that were compared through the long-rank method. A trust interval of 95% was accepted. Results:The total 3 years survival was of 37%. The 58% of the cases used the combination of Melfalan with Prednisona as initial therapeutic scheme. The 47,1% of the treated patients had a positive response to the chemotherapy. There were no alarming differences in response percentage and in survival among those who received Melfalan-prednisona and those who were treated with schemes that combined both drugs. The functional capacity reduction, the association to renal insufficiency, and not having response to treatment were the factors associated to an early mortality. Conclusions: The identification by means of this study of the factors related with the illness, would allow us to stratify the sick persons and to individualize its cares to improve the survival.