1146 Overview Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant neoplasm of plasma cells that accumulate in bone marrow, leading to bone destruction and marrow failure. The American Cancer Society estimates 20,520 new cases of MM will be diagnosed in the United States in 2011, including 11,400 cases in men and 9,120 in women, with an estimated 10,610 deaths. 1 The mean age of affected individuals is 62 years for men (75% older than 70 years) and 61 years for women (79% older than 70 years). The treatment of MM has dramatically improved over the past decade. The 5-year survival rate reported in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database increased from 25% in 1975 to 34% in 2003 because of newer and more effective treatment options. 2,3

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