[Prognostic factors affecting survival in multiple myeloma]

70 patients suffering from multiple myeloma were observed by authors in the last 15 years and three months. In the meantime fifty-two out of them have died, and 18 patients are under permanent care. 43 IgG, 17 IgA, 6 Bence-Jones, 2 IgD types were diagnosed according to the paraprotein distribution, one patient proved to be nonsecretory, and an other one to osteosclerotic form as well. The median survival time was 27 months in the group of deceased patients. In the group followed-up 50.8 months survival time was observed up to the closing of the study. Several prognostic factors were investigated. According to the classification by Durie and Salmon the survival time was 60 months in the patients with stage I, 33 months in stage II., and 9 months in stage III respectively. The prognosis is much poorer in patients into the "B" category: the survival time was 14 months. Classified in the basis of the type of the myeloma-cell, the cases with well matured cells have had the best prognosis with survival time of 46 months, while the most unfavourable prognosis was observed in patients with blast-cell type, with a median survival time of 10 months. The greatest number of patients suffered from multiple myeloma of IgG paraprotein type, in this group the serum IgA level was found to be significantly decreased in the patients died due to inevitable infections. The survival was injured significantly by the occurrence of concomitant severe diseases, to.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)