Advances in diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma with extramedullary disease

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) with extramedullary disease (EMD) is defined as the infiltration of plasma cells outside the bone marrow in MM patients. The new EMD factor for prognosis of MM patients is added into the DS (Durie-Salmon)-PLUS staging system. It is recommended that whole body MRI and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT should be used to evaluate initial status and treatment efficacy in MM patients with EMD in the clinical. MM patients with EMD, including new diagnosed and relapsed MM patients are associated with adverse prognosis. Prognosis of the MM with EMD is poor, and the median overall survival (OS) of patients with recurrence is less than 6 months. MM with EMD is a high-risk myeloma and should be treated aggressively. In order to enhance the understanding of the diagnosis and treatment in MM patients with EMD, this article summarizes the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of the MM patients with EMD. Key words: Multiple myeloma; Diagnosis; Therapeutics; Prognosis; Extramedullary disease