Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program

At a Glance

Number of New Cases and Deaths per 100,000: The number of new cases of myeloma was 6.5 per 100,000 men and women per year. The number of deaths was 3.3 per 100,000 men and women per year. These rates are age-adjusted and based on 2009-2013 cases and deaths.

Lifetime Risk of Developing Cancer: Approximately 0.7 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with myeloma at some point during their lifetime, based on 2010-2012 data.

Prevalence of This Cancer: In 2013, there were an estimated 95,688 people living with myeloma in the United States.

How Many People Survive 5 Years Or More after Being Diagnosed with Myeloma?

Relative survival statistics compare the survival of patients diagnosed with cancer with the survival of people in the general population who are the same age, race, and sex and who have not been diagnosed with cancer. Because survival statistics are based on large groups of people, they cannot be used to predict exactly what will happen to an individual patient. No two patients are entirely alike, and treatment and responses to treatment can vary greatly.

Additional Information

• More about 5-year survival rates

Survival by Stage

Cancer stage at diagnosis, which refers to extent of a cancer in the body, determines treatment options and has a strong influence on the length of survival. In general, if the cancer is found only in the part of the body where it started it is localized (sometimes referred to as stage 1). If it has spread to a different part of the body, the stage is regional or distant. The earlier myeloma is caught, the better chance a person has of surviving five years after being diagnosed. For myeloma, 5.0% are diagnosed at the local stage. The 5-year survival for localized myeloma is 69.6%.

Additional Information

• More about myeloma staging

How Common Is This Cancer?

Compared to other cancers, myeloma is relatively rare.

In 2016, it is estimated that there will be 30,330 new cases of myeloma and an estimated 12,650 people will die of this disease.

Who Gets This Cancer?

Although a rare disease, myeloma is more common in men than women and among individuals of African American descent. Risk is higher among those with a history of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The number of new cases of myeloma was 6.5 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2009-2013 cases.

Who Dies From This Cancer?

Myeloma is the fourteenth leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The number of deaths was 3.3 per 100,000 men and women per year based on 2009-2013 deaths.

Changes Over Time

Keeping track of the number of new cases, deaths, and survival over time (trends) can help scientists understand whether progress is being made and where additional research is needed to address challenges, such as improving screening or finding better treatments.

Using statistical models for analysis, rates for new myeloma cases have been rising on average 0.8% each year over the last 10 years. Death rates have been falling on average 0.8% each year over 2004-2013. 5-year survival trends are shown below the figure.

Myeloma

This type of cancer begins in plasma cells (white blood cells that produce antibodies). It is also called Kahler disease, myelomatosis, and plasma cell myeloma. Plasma cells are white blood cells that make antibodies. Antibodies are part of the immune system. They work with other parts of the immune system to help protect the body from germs and other harmful substances. Each type of plasma cell makes a different antibody.

Myeloma begins when a plasma cell becomes abnormal. The abnormal cell divides to make copies of itself. These abnormal plasma cells are called myeloma cells.

In time, myeloma cells collect in the bone marrow. They may damage the solid part of the bone. When myeloma cells collect in several of your bones, the disease is called "multiple myeloma." This disease may also harm other tissues and organs, such as the kidneys.

Myeloma cells make antibodies called M proteins and other proteins. These proteins can collect in the blood, urine, and organs.

Additional Information

• Learn more about multiple myeloma

More Information

Here are some resources for learning more about myeloma.

• More about risk factors for myeloma
• More about the diagnosis of myeloma
• More about treatment options for myeloma
• More about clinical trials
• More about cancer prevention

References

All statistics in this report are based on statistics from SEER and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Most can be found within:

Howlader N, Noone AM, Krapcho M, Miller D, Bishop K, Altekruse SF, Kosary CL, Yu M, Ruhl J, Tatalovich Z, Mariotto A, Lewis DR, Chen HS, Feuer EJ, Cronin KA (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2013, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2013/, based on November 2015 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER web site, April 2016.

Suggested Citation

All material in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission; citation as to source, however, is appreciated.

SEER Cancer Statistics Factsheets: Myeloma. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html