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After primary therapy for myeloma is complete, all appropriate diagnostic tests, including bone marrow aspiration and biopsy, are repeated to determine how well the therapy worked.

• The results of these tests will determine whether a remission has occurred.
• If the patient is in remission, the oncologist will recommend a schedule of regular testing and follow-up visits to monitor the remission and identify early relapse.
• Maintaining constant vigil via follow-up exams and tests is no less important than the therapy itself.

For cases in which myeloma does not go into complete remission after treatment, or if it recurs after treatment, the hematologist/oncologist will likely recommend further treatment.

There is no known way to prevent myeloma. A standard recommendation is to avoid the risk factors for the disease, but little is known concerning the risk factors for myeloma.

The outlook for myeloma has somewhat improved over the past few decades as treatment has improved. However, the overall 5-year survival rate is about 30%, and nearly 11,000 people in the United States die of myeloma per year.

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