Dutch myeloma cohort shows rising survival over 35 years

Researchers analysed Netherlands Cancer Registry data covering more than 95% of malignancies in the Netherlands. The study included 33,960 adults diagnosed with multiple myeloma between 1989 and 2022; survival analyses were limited to 24,142 patients who received systemic treatment. Incidence was calculated using European age-standardised rates, and overall and relative survival were assessed across five treatment eras and three age groups.

The age-standardised incidence rate remained around 5 cases per 100,000 people per year, reaching 5.3 in 2018–2022. Among treated patients, median overall survival rose from 26 months in 1989–1999 to 59 months in 2013–2017. Five-year relative survival increased from 24% to 63% between the earliest and latest eras. In 2018–2022, five-year relative survival was 74% among patients aged 18–65, 68% among those aged 66–70, and 50% among those older than 70.

The findings document substantial real-world survival gains across age groups, while the age-related gap persisted. Improvements coincided with successive treatment advances, but this retrospective observational study cannot establish which treatments caused the gains; changes in diagnosis and supportive care may also have contributed. The authors note that real-world outcomes complement, but do not directly replicate, results from selected clinical-trial populations.