Description of multiple myeloma cases and assessment of survival and mortality factors in Madagascar.

In Madagascar, the epidemiologic, therapeutic, and evolutionary aspects of multiple myeloma remain poorly understood. Our objectives were to describe the cases, report factors associated with mortality, and estimate patient survival. This was a retrospective descriptive and analytical study conducted in five teaching hospitals in Madagascar: HJRA and CENHOSOA (Antananarivo), CHUPZAGA (Mahajanga), CHUAT (Toamasina) and CHUT (Fianarantsoa). The study included patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2021. Of the 11,374 cancer patients, 75 (0.66%) had multiple myeloma. The mean age of the patients was 59.9 years (±8.9) and the sex ratio was 1.5. Arterial hypertension was observed in 32% of the patients. The most common symptom of myeloma was bone pain ( Patient survival is shorter than reported in the literature. The high mortality rate is due to comorbidities and limited access to recommended therapies.