Simultaneous tumors: ovarian cancer in a patient with multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma is the second most common hematological malignancy, accounting for approximately 1% and 10–15% of malignant tumors of the hematopoietic and lymphoid systems, respectively. Until recently, the diagnosis of multiple myeloma was inherently associated with unfavorable prognosis of overall survival. On the one hand, advanced diagnosis techniques and the development of new treatment approaches have led to the improved life expectancy and significant reduction of mortality of patients with multiple myeloma. On the other hand, the medical and research communities have encountered a previously unknown issue: the combination of multiple myeloma with other types of cancer. This combination sets a task of multidisciplinary approach in the diagnosis and requires development of patient management strategy and prognostic parameters of the outcome. Some researchers adhere to the theory of independent tumor appearance in patients suffering from multiple myeloma, while other authors suppose that multiple myeloma and secondary cancer virtually represent multiple primary malignant neoplasms. This article presents a clinical case of postmortem verification of ovarian cancer in a patient with recurrent multiple myeloma.