A SEVEN-YEAR STUDY ON THE DEMOGRAPHIC PATTERN AND OUTCOME OF MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS MANAGED IN A TERTIARY HOSPITAL IN NIGER- DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B-cell neoplasm characterized by plasma cells clonal proliferation. Africans have an increased risk for MM compared to other races. Reports from Africa are few and involve small cohorts, but significant epidemiological and clinical differences from white patients. This study aims to determine the sociodemographic pattern and clinical outcome of MM patients in a Nigerian teaching hospital in South-South Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective review of 102 MM cases diagnosed in University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) from 2014-2020 and data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 23. Results: The incidence of MM was higher in females than males with a M: F ratio of 2:3 and the median age range was 41-55 years (46.1%) and the least affected was 86 years and above. Majority of the patients (83.3%) were discharged from the hospital and there was no significant relationship between age and gender with measured clinical outcomes. Conclusion: The index study showed that females were more affected with males and that the disease is common in the fifth and sixth decade of life