Multiple Myeloma Facts
Why Early Detection of MM Is Crucial
As incidence continues to increase, early detection may help provide patients more treatment options.1 Despite current available treatments, multiple myeloma remains incurable, and most patients will relapse and become refractory to these treatments.2 In some patients, the cancer may respond to initial treatment, but not to treatment following a relapse.2
New agents are necessary so that patients and physicians can have options as the disease progresses and patients relapse and become refractory to treatments.
Multiple Myeloma Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
- In 2012, multiple myeloma incidence in the United States stood at ~21,000 new cases; by 2025, that number is projected to grow to ~37,0003,4
- Comparably, from 2015 to 2030 in the EU, new cases of multiple myeloma are expected to increase from ~35,000 to over ~43,000 new cases5
- Each year, there are more than 130,000 new diagnoses of multiple myeloma worldwide6
- This disease is most frequently diagnosed in people aged 65-75 years7
- Relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) is a complicated and heterogeneous disease, as it is continuously developing resistance to treatments8
Almost all people with multiple myeloma will still relapse on or after treatments. Once these patients relapse, they become more difficult to treat.2 There is a need for new agents so that patients and physicians can have options as the disease progresses.
Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Myeloma9
There are often no signs of multiple myeloma until it reaches an advanced stage. However, some patients may experience mild symptoms, like those below, which can at first seem to be caused by other diseases1,5
Bone pain that is persistent or recurrent, and fractures
Persistent tiredness due to anemia or kidney failure
Nervous system disorders
Shortness of breath or evidence of heart or kidney failure
Recurrent unexplained infections, such as pneumonia
See the economic data and better understand the true and complete costs for your MM patients.
Get the factsREFERENCES: 1. American Cancer Society. Can multiple myeloma be found early? https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/detection-diagnosis-staging/detection.html. Updated February 2018. Accessed March 2021. 2. Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. Multiple myeloma prognosis. https://themmrf.org/multiple-myeloma/prognosis. Accessed September 5, 2019. 3. João C, Costa C, Coelho I, Vergueiro MJ, Ferreira M, Silva MG. Long-term survival in multiple myeloma. Clinical Case Reports. 2014;2(5):173-179. doi:10.1002/ccr3.76. 4. Kanas G, Clark O, Keeven K, Nersesyan K, Sansbury L, Hogea C. Population-level Projections for Multiple Myeloma Patients by Line of Therapy in the USA. Poster presented at: The 62nd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; December 5–8, 2020; Virtual Format. 5. Schey SA, Morris J, Maguire Á, Dhanasiri S. Quantifying the burden of multiple myeloma across Europe. Blood. 2016;128(22):5960. 6. International Myeloma Foundation. March Myeloma Action Month website. https://mam.myeloma.org/learn-more-about-multiple-myeloma/. Accessed March 2021. 7. National Cancer Institute. Cancer stat facts: myeloma. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html. Accessed January 2019. 8. Larsen J, Kumar S. Evolving paradigms in the management of multiple myeloma: novel agents and targeted therapies. Rare Cancers Ther. 2015;3:47–68. doi:10.1007/s40487-015-0009-4. 9. American Cancer Society. Signs and symptoms of multiple myeloma. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-symptoms.html. Updated February 2018. Accessed September 2019.