MM mortality in the United States has declined substantially over the past 25 years, with accelerated improvement after 2012 consistent with the impact of novel therapies, however major inequities by race, sex, age, geography, and rurality remain and are projected to persist through 2034.
Overall multiple myeloma age-adjusted mortality rates declined significantly from 1999 to 2024 in the United States.
The rate of mortality decline accelerated significantly after 2012, coinciding with widespread adoption of newer therapeutic agents.
Black or African American individuals experienced the highest multiple myeloma mortality burden throughout the study period, with rates more than double those of White individuals in 2024.
Males consistently demonstrated higher multiple myeloma mortality rates than females throughout the study period.
Adults aged 65 years and older had the highest multiple myeloma mortality burden, though rates declined over the study period.
The South and nonmetropolitan regions consistently showed higher multiple myeloma mortality rates than other regions and metropolitan areas.
ARIMA models project continued national decline in multiple myeloma mortality to approximately 20.0 per 1,000,000 by 2034.
This research examined 25 years of multiple myeloma (MM) death rates across the United States using national data from 1999 to 2024. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells in the bone marrow, and the study found that overall death rates fell substantially — from about 37.6 to 25.1 deaths per million people — over the study period. The decline picked up speed after 2012, which the authors link to the wider availability of newer, more effective treatments such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs, anti-CD38 antibodies, and CAR-T cell therapies. Statistical forecasting models suggest death rates will continue falling to roughly 20 per million by 2034. However, the study found deep and persistent inequalities in who benefits from this progress. Black or African American individuals had death rates more than twice as high as White individuals in 2024 (48.0 vs. 23.5 per million). Men died at higher rates than women (32.4 vs. 19.8 per million), older adults (65+) faced by far the highest burden, and people living in the South or in rural areas consistently had worse outcomes than those in other regions or cities. These gaps are projected to continue through 2034 without major changes in how care is delivered. This research suggests that while medical advances have meaningfully reduced MM deaths at the population level, the benefits have not reached all groups equally. Closing these gaps would likely require not just continued development of new treatments, but also improved access to specialized care, earlier diagnosis for underserved communities, and greater inclusion of diverse populations in clinical trials that test new therapies.
Ali M, Ferrari F, Hafeez A, Akram A, Javaid M, Pandit M, et al.. (2026). Two decades of progress, persistent inequity: national trends in multiple myeloma mortality in the United States, 1999-2024.. Cancer causes & control : CCC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-026-02253-x