Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 5, 1977-1984, Copyright © 1987 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Effects of socioeconomic and clinical factors on survival in multiple myeloma
B Weston, S Grufferman, JP MacMillan and HJ Cohen
Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC.
It was recently reported that low socioeconomic status (SES) in multiple
myeloma (MM) patients is associated with a poorer prognosis. To reassess
this finding in another group of MM patients, we used data from interviews
of 153 MM patients seen at Duke University Medical Center over a 6-year
period. Medical records were also reviewed for data on traditional clinical
prognostic factors. Using proportional hazard survival analysis, no SES
variables were associated with survival. Current income, highest income,
occupation, type of dwelling, years of education, and crowding did not
enter the stepwise regression model at alpha = .10. In contrast, many
clinical factors predicted prognosis (calcium, P = .019; percent plasma
cells on initial bone marrow, P = .019; history of transfusions, P = .015;
WBC count, P = .007; pathologic fractures, P = .001; and urate, P less than
.001). Thus, we do not confirm the previously reported association between
social class and myeloma survival.
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