If you have been reading my blog for a while, you must know what I think of statistics. 🙄
Sure, statistics can be useful and also interesting, but only up to a point…Have a look at Prof. Stephen Jay Gould’s essay on statistics, titled “The median isn’t the message,” which really changed my outlook on myeloma statistics (all that “5-year survival” talk, I mean).
So, yes, you guessed it. Today I have a study chock full of statistics. But these are actually very interesting myeloma statistics. For example, one of the findings of the study is that the number of myeloma cases AND deaths in 2019 has more than DOUBLED since 1990. Cases…and deaths…more than doubled…in a period of 30 years? I was actually surprised…I mean, you’d think there would be at least SOME improvement. Hmmm…
Anyway, without further ado, here goes…
If your reading time is limited, the first link (below) gives a brief summary of the study. The second link will take you to the actual (full) study…much more data, yes, but much more interesting. Again, if your time is limited, just skim through it and read the Conclusions.
First link: https://www.myelomacrowd.org/multiple-myeloma-cases-double-since-1990/
Second link: https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-021-08280-y
Incidentally, if you are an expert in the field of statistics, please leave me a comment or contact me privately…Thanks!
Ooooh…and what about Monaco??? I was shocked…!
I am not sure I am surprised. There was a study out a few months ago suggesting chronic inflammation as the ultimate reason for clones. (via damaging blood stem cells).
So many things that cause inflammation have doubled since 1990 (including sugar in our food), obesity, and diabetes.
I hate math (maybe because I’m no good at it) but my DH has a master’s in physics and math and he agreed with me…the death toll is actually lower if you account for a 50% increase in cases, fewer people are dying. The increase of death is because there are more people who get dx. but statistically, death is declining in the myeloma population. I had read something similar that where it used to be a 2-3 year survival, newer treatments have pushed it 8-10 years.
I hope they can figure this out.
And I hope you are doing OK with the loss of your Peekaboo.
Very interesting information….do you think that the mortality for MM patients is related to the increase in obesity? Dana Farber in Boston is starting a trial for patients with precursors such as MGUS and SMM and Metformin…so there is definitely a glucose imbalance that appears to be involved.