Renal Failure in Multiple Myeloma: Study Reports 20 Years of Mortality Outcomes

A study presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting observed higher mortality rates for multiple myeloma (MM) and renal failure among patients who were Black, male, or residing in the Midwest.

The study investigated mortality trends and disparities in deaths resulting from MM and renal failure across demographics in the United States. “At diagnosis, around 20% of patients with MM have impaired renal function. Renal failure is the leading cause of death in these patients, particularly among older adults,” study authors explained.

Study author Tanmayee Mareedu, of the Mamata Academy of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad, India, and colleagues collected data on patients aged 55 years and older diagnosed with MM and renal failure from 1999 to 2020 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database. Researchers extracted crude mortality rate (CMR) and age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR). Data were stratified by gender, age, race, geographic areas, and urban/rural status. Annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC) were calculated.

The analysis included 49,043 reported deaths during the study period, with an overall AAMR of 3.11. The mortality rate increased from 1999 to 2003 (APC 2.31) and significantly decreased from 2003 to 2020 (APC -3.03).

Key findings from the study include:

• The AAMR for male patients was nearly twice that of female patients (4.14 vs 2.35). The rate of decline was also less pronounced for male patients than female patients (AAPC -1.80 vs -2.47).
• Non-Hispanic Black patients had the highest AAMR (6.69). Non-Hispanic Asian patients had the lowest (1.61).
• Non-Hispanic White patients showed the slowest rate of decline in mortality, with an AAPC of -1.91.
• The Midwest had the highest AAMR, at 3.24. The Northeast had the lowest, with an AAMR of 2.99.
• Rural areas had a slightly higher AAMR than urban areas, with 3.17 and 3.06 respectively.
• Most deaths occurred in medical facilities (55.51%).
• Patients aged 85 years and older showed the highest CMR of 7.16 (AAPC -0.74).

Study authors expressed that these results “[indicate] a need for targeted interventions in these groups to mitigate fatalities caused by MM and renal failure.”

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