title: Long-term prognostic value of serum beta 2 microglobulin in myelomatosis.
abstract: The prognostic value of serum beta 2 microglobulin (s beta 2m) measured at entry, at plateau and at 3-monthly follow-up times has been assessed for patients in the Medical Research Council's 4th and 5th Myelomatosis Trials. Analysis of 1014 patients confirmed the value of presentation s beta 2m of predicting survival in the short term but showed that predictive value was lost for subsequent survival in those patients who had survived for at least 2 years. However, measurements of s beta 2m taken during follow-up were predictive of subsequent survival. The predictive power of these follow-up measurements was very similar to that for the presenting measurement, and again they were only of value in predicting survival in the next 2 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Imperial Cancer Research Fund, London.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cuzick
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: De Stavola
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: MacLennan
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains / Q000032:analysis; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains / Q000032:analysis; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D007143:Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains; D007147:Immunoglobulin Light Chains; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D003404:Creatinine; D002118:Calcium