Prospective systematic classification of causes of death in the course of multiple myeloma

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy characterized by the clonal expansion of bone-marrow plasma cells with an annual incidence rate of about 9/100,000 (2020) in Germany [ 1 ], accounting for ~1.4% of newly diagnosed cancer and ~1.8% of all cancer-related deaths. Globally, an age-standardized-incidence of 1,8/100,000 was documented for 2022 [ 2 ]. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advancements, MM remains largely incurable with an average relative five-year-survival rate of ~57% in Germany [ 1 ].