Elsevier, Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma and Leukemia, 3(16), p. e39-e45, 2016
DOI: 10.1016/j.clml.2015.11.020
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Multiple myeloma (MM) typically affects older patients with a median age at diagnosis of 67-70 years and only 3% of cases are diagnosed before the age of 40. Moreover, MM is more common in; men. Therefore, pregnancy rarely occurs in patients with MM and only 37 cases of MM in pregnancy; have been reported in the literature. Herein - we report an additional five cases. The diagnosis MM may; be problematic in this context as some of the symptoms and signs, such as back pain and anemia, can; be attributed to pregnancy. Furthermore, if the patient wishes to continue her pregnancy, therapeutic; options are currently limited. The list of agents that can be safely administered in pregnant women; includes glucocorticoids. Moreover, any continuation of pregnancy has obvious long term psychosocial; repercussions for the patient and her family given the currently incurable nature of MM. The reported; cases of MM in pregnancy represent a spectrum of clinical manifestations. The selection of efficacious; and safe treatments is challenging, especially if continuation of pregnancy is desired. Although some; authors postulate that pregnancy may lead to progression of MM, data is limited and no consensus on; this point has been reached