Background: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been reported as an inflammatory biomarker and a predictor of prognosis in different types of cancer. However, the role of RDW at diagnosis in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) has been less explored.
Objective: We aimed to investigate the association between RDW and the response to treatment and overall survival (OS) in patients with MM.
Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data for 196 MM patients between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2015. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression model were used.
Results: High RDW values were associated with lower platelet count, lower hemoglobin levels, lower albumin levels, and higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level. Among the entire cohort, the overall response rates (ORR) and complete response (CR) rate of initial therapy were markedly higher in the low-RDW group compared to the high-RDW group. RDW was significant lower in CR in comparison to Non-CR groups in patients treated with bortezomib-based regimens as induction therapy. The patients with low-RDW at diagnosis had better OS when compared to those with high-RDW.
Conclusions: Elevated RDW was associated with worse survival in patients with MM and could predict treatment responses. Further larger and prospective studies are required.
Keywords: Multiple myeloma; prognostic; red cell distribution width; survival.