Role of genetics in prognostication in myeloma

As in other hematological malignancies, cytogenetics is becoming a major prognostic parameter in myeloma. Myeloma differs from other hemopathies particularly in technical aspects related to low proliferation and partial infiltrates. Thus, fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is probably the best method for cytogenetic assessment in myeloma, but it requires the identification of the malignant cells (morphologically, immunologically or through sorting). Several chromosomal abnormalities have been identified. Among them, the t(4;14) and t(14;16) translocations and the del(17p) are the most important for outcome prediction, all of them predicting a short overall survival. However, even in these genetically defined subgroups, an outcome heterogeneity is observed, suggesting the role of other factors (genetic or otherwise) in disease evolution.