Myeloma at Cross Roads in India

Excerpt

The global burden of myeloma is highly variable among countries with increase in incidence uniformly and substantially since 1990. The age standardized incidence rates (ASIR) of myeloma globally is 2.1 per million (95% CI: 1.8–2.24) [1]. The countries with high sociodemographic incidence (SDI) have higher ASIR, whereas countries with low SDI have lower ASIR. The largest increase in incidence in recent years are seen in middle and low-middle SDI countries. East Asia (China, Taiwan, and North Korea) has recorded a 262% rise in the myeloma incidence from 1990 to 2016 [1]. India is depicted along with countries with least ASIR, despite low SDI [1]. This poor representation could be attributed to lack of epidemiological studies and non-availability of myeloma registry to systematically record the incidence rates in our country. To identify factual myeloma related information, Indian myeloma academic groupe (IMAGe, http://​imagesociety.​co.​in) has launched a nation-wide myeloma registry (care4myeloma.in). …