Survival Rates for Multiple Myeloma
This represents the most up-to-date survival rate information for multiple myeloma.
Survival rates tell you what percentage of people with the same type and stage of cancer are still alive a certain amount of time (usually 5 years) after they were diagnosed. This information can’t tell you how long you will live, but it may help you better understand how likely it is that your treatment will be successful.
Keep in mind that survival rates are estimates. They are often based on previous outcomes of large numbers of people who had a specific cancer, but they can’t predict what will happen in any one person’s case.
These statistics can be confusing and may lead you to have more questions. Ask your cancer care team how these numbers may apply to you.
What is a 5-year relative survival rate?
A relative survival rate compares people with the same type and stage of cancer to people in the overall population. For example, if the 5-year relative survival rate for a specific stage of multiple myeloma is 60%, it means that people who have that cancer are, on average, about 60% as likely as people who don’t have that cancer to live for at least 5 years after being diagnosed.
Where do these numbers come from?
The American Cancer Society relies on information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, maintained by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), to provide survival statistics for different types of cancer.
The SEER database tracks 5-year relative survival rates for myeloma in the United States, based on how far the cancer has spread. The SEER database, however, does not group cancers by the Revised International Staging System (stage 1, stage 2, or stage 3). Instead, it groups cancers into localized, regional, and distant stages:
- Localized: Only one tumor (a solitary plasmacytoma) is growing in the bone or outside the bone.
- Regional: This stage does not apply to myeloma, because this type of cancer does not spread to the lymph nodes.
- Distant: Many tumors are found inside or outside the bones, or multiple myeloma has been diagnosed.
5-year relative survival rates for myeloma
These numbers, which are the most recent available, are based on people diagnosed with plasmacytomas or multiple myeloma between 2012 and 2018.
SEER Stage |
5-year Relative Survival Rate |
Localized (solitary plasmacytoma) |
80% |
Regional |
Not applicable |
Distant (multiple myeloma) |
60% |
All SEER stages combined |
62% |
Understanding the numbers
- These numbers don’t take everything into account. Survival rates for myeloma are generally based on if a single plasmacytoma is found or if multiple myeloma is diagnosed. But other factors, such as the tumor’s cytogenetics (chromosome changes), the levels of certain proteins and other substances in the blood, your kidney function, and your age and overall health, can also affect your outlook.
- People now being diagnosed with myeloma may have a better outlook than these numbers show. Treatments have improved over time, and these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed and treated at least 5 years earlier.
- Written by
- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Myeloma. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD. 2024. Accessed at https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/mulmy.html on January 13, 2025.
Last Revised: February 28, 2025
American Cancer Society medical information is copyrighted material. For reprint requests, please see our Content Usage Policy.
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