REAL WORLD MULTIPLE MYELOMA REGISTRY FROM JORDAN, A DEVELOPING COUNTRY.

Abstract

Abstract Background and objective: Very scanty reports from the middle east and north Africa (MENA) region have been published on multiple myeloma (MM). Multiple myeloma registry has been established at Jordan University Hospital (JUH) since 2009. In this work we aim to review Multiple Myeloma registry with data from 113 patients who were diagnosed with MM at JUH and analyze their management and course. Methods: This is a non-interventional, and retrospective analysis of MM registry from 2009-2016 involving 113 patients at JUH. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Overall survival (OS) was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method. P value was considered significant if it was (<0.05). Results: We found no gender difference in this registry. The median age is 62 years. Most patients are ISS stage II and III (36.28% for each). Immunoglobulin type G Kappa is the dominant subtype. Bone pain is the most common presenting symptom. The most common laboratory finding is anemia (45.6%). Most of our patients (85.2%) had received thalidomide and dexamethasone, while only 14.8% received bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone. The mean overall survival (OS) in our patients was 74 months, and the median survival was 38 months. Median OS for ISS stage I, II, and III were 96, 46, and 16 months respectively. Conclusion: MM in a developing country presents a challenging disease compared with that in industrial countries in both the epidemiology and management. An improved road map in the care of MM in these countries is needed. The use of three or four drug combination upfront is warranted. However, this is limited because of the high cost of these drugs. We expect the following decade to show better survival and quality of life for MM patients once these drugs are widely used.   KEYWORDS: MYELOMA, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, JORDAN, NEW THERAPIES, THERAPY COST.