Effect of pathologic fractures on survival in multiple myeloma patients: a case control study

Mehmet Sonmez¹ , Tulin Akagun² , Murat Topbas³ , Umit Cobanoglu⁴ , Bircan Sonmez⁵ , Mustafa Yilmaz¹ , Ercument Ovali¹ and Serdar Bedii Omay¹

¹Department of Haematology, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

²Department of Internal Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

³Department of Public Health, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

⁴Department of Pathology, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

⁵Department of Nuclear Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, School of Medicine, Trabzon, Turkey

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Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research 2008, 27:11doi:10.1186/1756-9966-27-11


Published:	10 June 2008

Abstract

Background

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a B cell neoplasm characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells. Skeletal complications are found in up to 80% of myeloma patients at presentation and are major cause of morbidity.

Methods

49 patients were enrolled with MM admitted to Black Sea Technical University Hospital between 2002–2005. Pathologic fractures (PFs) were determined and the patients with or without PF were followed up minumum 3 years for survival analysis.

Results

PF was observed in 24 patients (49%) and not observed in 25 patients (51%). The risk of death was increased in the patients with PF compared with patients who had no fractures. While overall survival was 17.6 months in the patients with PFs, it was 57.3 months in the patients with no PFs.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that PFs may induce reduced survival and increased mortality in the MM patients, however, larger sample size is essential to draw clearer conclusions added to these data.