Autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma

Abstract

Myeloma is the malignant proliferation of plasma cells. It is the second most common haematological malignancy after non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, comprising 10% of all haematological malignancies and 1% of all cancers. There is a slight predominance in males and blacks. The aetiology is still uncertain, but an increased risk of myeloma has been noted in survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki disasters, radiation workers and sheet metal workers. There is a direct relationship with increasing age and it is very rarely seen in patients below the age of 40.