title: [Multiple myeloma. Role of prognostic factors and staging in a therapeutic program].
abstract: Patients affected with multiple myeloma constitute an heterogeneous population with very different clinical patterns, varying from asymptomatic to very compromised patients with severe and uncontrolled disease. Most common clinical and biological staging systems have been in use for many years. Recently new prognostic factors have been identified; among them, serum levels of beta-2 microglobulin, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 employed with already known parameters have been useful in the new staging system, permitting a more focalized therapy. As today is not yet possible to define the best treatment schedule, as the most common treatments are incapable to eradicate myeloma neoplastic clone even in responsive patients. Nevertheless extensive use of biologic response modifiers in the last years, as alpha interferon, have added new powerful and hopeful therapeutic tools even if the results need to be confirmed in future trials. It is important to remind the primary role of bone marrow transplantation associated with high dose polychemotherapy even if just a minority of patients is eligible for this therapeutic chance.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ematologia, Università, Milano, Ospedale S. Gerardo dei Tintori, Monza.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bolis
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Bregani
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Casaroli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lanzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maffè
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baldicchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Borin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mingozzi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tripputi
mesh_terms: D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis
vernacular_title: Il mieloma multiplo. Ruolo dei fattori prognostici e della stadiazione in un programma terapeutico.