Progression of asymptomatic myeloma.

The panel on the left shows the variable times to disease progression in 123 asymptomatic patients with multiple myeloma at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, according to risk status defined by the presence of 0, 1, or 2 or more of the following abnormalities: monoclonal protein level above 30 g/L, IgA myeloma protein type, and urinary protein level above 50 mg/day on Bence Jones assessment (P < .01). The panel on the right shows the variable times to disease progression in 43 asymptomatic patients considered at intermediate risk on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging results (P < .01).