The burden of multiple myeloma in Mexico: An epidemiologic investigation of the national health system

Abstract

Introduction: Although multiple myeloma (MM) represents only 1% of the global burden of cancer, its prevalence increases as the population ages. Monitoring our progress to treat MM requires novel tools for epidemiologic surveillance. Methods: We developed a surrogate measure for the burden of MM in Mexico during 2015, representing the number of prevalent and incident cases of MM at every public and private Mexican health institution. We identified individuals through the ICD-10 codes C90.0-C90.3. Hospitalizations and mortality due to MM were also studied. The number of cases was standardized to represent the age-specific Mexican population obtained through census data. We conducted structured interviews to clinicians to gather data on treatment and clinical characteristics. Results: In 2015, 2569 patients with MM were attended, 2039 unique patients were hospitalized, and 1169 patients died in the Mexican health system. The incidence rate for MM was 1.16 × 100,000 inhabitants-year during the study period. Therapies were consistent between the public and private sectors. Incidence was higher among elder men. Conclusion: Our findings align with epidemiologic trends in the developing world. As we face aging of the population and new therapies extend the survival of patients with MM, our surrogate will be useful for epidemiologic surveillance.