Multiple Myeloma International Staging System – An Aging System

The authors in this provocative report recommend combining the Multiple Myeloma International Staging System (MM-ISS) with tumor cytogenetics, to more accurately predict prognosis in MM patients. The MM International Staging System (MM-ISS) takes into account a combination of Beta-2 Microglobulin (B2M) along with serum albumin (SA) levels to determine the prognosis in MM patients. Unfortunately both B2M and SA can be abnormal in elderly patients independent of Myeloma history and may predict disability and mortality in this patient group. The MM-ISS may therefore not accurately reflect the intrinsic malignancy of the myeloma cell clone. This information was published in Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia 2013. Read more at www.oncoprescribe.com