Author details

for oncology treatment and stem-cell transplantation. Transplant-eligible patients who require stem-cell transplantation usually pay out from their pockets, and this could add to another burden to the patients [41–43]. However, in high-income countries, the reverse is the case and

There is no standard National cancer (MM) registry or Surveillance Epidemiology End-Result (SEER) cancer statistics review center in most developing countries including Nigeria. This has

There are no standard guidelines for the treatment of MM in many developing countries including Nigeria. This is responsible for the disparities in some of the outcomes. A lot of confounding issues have arisen as a result of disharmony in the management of the disease in many developing countries. There is a need to control all confounding issues that may arise as a result of heterogeneous management of the MM in developing countries. Each country is expected to design its own consensus guidelines that will best serve the patients putting

One of the components of a good palliative care of people living with terminal diseases such as MM is the psychosocial care. In developed countries, the social workers and the spiritualists have their roles to play in order to improve the quality of life of the patients. For instance, some patients who have financial challenges in procuring their treatment may not access social workers either because they are not there or they might be there but they are not functioning.

Late diagnosis and inadequate palliative care are the hallmarks of poor prognosis and overall survival outcome of MM in developing countries [3]. There is a need to educate the physicians, especially orthopedic surgeons, renal physicians, and gastroenterologists to exercise higher

The government, stakeholders in health institutions, and donor agencies who are passionate for MM have a role to play in its management toward improving the quality of life of people living with the disease. This is achievable by improved funding of MM research and treatment in

This may create more health burden or even cause death of the patients in some cases.

index of suspicion, as they are usually the first to see such patients [44].

hindered getting accurate statistics of the disease in most developing countries.

the survival outcome is usually better.

7.1. National Cancer (MM) Registry

international best practices in mind.

8. Conclusion and recommendations

7.3. Psychosocial input

7.2. National Guideline for management of MM

7. Other challenges

218 Update on Multiple Myeloma

Ogbonna Collins Nwabuko1,2\*

\*Address all correspondence to: ogbollins2002@yahoo.com

1 Department of Hematology, Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

2 Department of Hematology, College of Health Sciences, Abia State University, Aba, Abia State, Nigeria
