Serum Albumin Levels Linked to Multiple Myeloma Severity

A new study shows that lower levels of serum albumin are associated with greater disease severity in multiple myeloma patients.The study, published in Annals of Hematology, retrospectively examined 373 multiple myeloma patients in Seoul, Korea. Patients were split into two groups: those with serum albumin greater than 3.5 g/dL and those with serum albumin less than 3.5 g/dL. Patients in the lower serum albumin group were, on average, older with a median age of 62 years, compared with 58 years for the higher serum albumin group.

Results showed that the lower serum albumin group had lower levels of hemoglobin, the protein found in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. Low hemoglobin levels means that the bone marrow is overcrowded with myeloma cells and cannot produce the number of red blood cells that the body needs, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. Patients with low serum albumin levels also had higher levels of serum beta2-microglobulin, M proteins and bone marrow plasma cells at the time they were diagnosed — all indicative of increased disease severity and cancer progression. The study did not, however, determine why the relationship exists between low serum albumin levels and increased disease severity.