OBJECTIVETo verify applicability of the International Staging System (ISS) for multiple myeloma (MM) to 112 Chinese MM patients and compare ISS with Durie-Salmon (DS) and Intergroup Francophone du Myeloma (IFM) staging system in predicting prognosis.

METHODS112 previously untreated MM patients in Blood Diseases Hospital of CAMS were analyzed according to ISS retrospectively.

RESULTS1) Serum beta2-microglobulin (beta2-MG) > or = 3.5 mg/L was an independent adverse prognostic factor for overall survival (OS), and serum albumin <35 g/L predicted for time to progression (TTP), 2) In the 58 cases having cytogenetic data, chromosome 13 aberration (Delta 13) was the only independent adverse prognostic factor for OS; 3) Factors significantly related to serum beta2-MG were serum creatinine, 24h urinary protein,body mass index (BMI) and performance status (PS); and those related to serum albumin were hemoglobin level, percentage of bone marrow plasma cells, lactate dehydrogenase(LDN), fever, PS, class of M-protein, serum phosphorus and BMI; 4) All traditional prognostic factors had no statistical difference between ISS stage II and III excepting for serum beta2-MG and creatinine, and 5/6 Delta 13 patients were classified to ISS stage II; 5) The median OS of ISS stage I, II, III were 69, 23 and 26 months (m) respectively, being no statistical difference between stage II and III; for DS system, 89.5% of patients were classified in stage III, being no statistical difference for OS between the stage I/II and III; while for IFM system, the median OS of low-, intermediate- and high-risk group were 69, 40 and 8 months respectively, being statistically different between high-risk and intermediate/ low-risk groups.

CONCLUSIONSFrom the result of our limited analysis, the staging of ISS II and III seems unsuitable for Chinese MM patients. The IFM staging system ,which incorporates delta 13, is more effective than ISS, and DS staging system in predicting prognosis.