Relevance of age on survival of 341 patients with multiple myeloma treated with conventional chemotherapy: updated results of the MM87 prospective randomised protocol.

Age could influence the prognosis of multiple myeloma patients treated with conventional chemotherapy. Between January 1987 and March 1990, 341 consecutive previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma received chemotherapy within the prospective, multicentre, randomized Protocol MM87. Survival was evaluated in patients aged > or and 55 years). In all groups, about 50% of the patients surviving over 72 months had stage I disease. For multiple myeloma patients treated with chemotherapy, survival is favourably affected by relatively young age and early stage of diseas