Global Burden of Multiple Myeloma in Adolescents and Young Adults Projected to Increase

By: Lisa Astor
Posted: Monday, February 23, 2026

Multiple myeloma in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) remains rare but carries measurable global morbidity and mortality. Incidence rates have increased significantly over the past several decades, and these increases are projected to continue through 2040, according to the results of a population-based analysis published in Blood Global Hematology.

Researchers assessed global epidemiological trends for multiple myeloma in AYAs between 1990 and 2021 based on data from the Global Burden of Disease Study. They assessed incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years according to sex, region, and sociodemographic index levels to identify patterns and trends.

From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized incidence rate of multiple myeloma in AYAs globally increased by 60%; the estimated annual percentage change was 1.5%. Age-standardized mortality rates also rose by 25% and disability-adjusted life year rates rose by about 45%.

Incidence rates among male AYAs were 43% higher than among female AYAs. The most significant increases in incidence rates were also observed for middle sociodemographic index level regions, with an estimated annual percentage change of 3.5%. The highest rates were reported in parts of North America, Australasia, and Western Europe.

Projections for the future global burden of multiple myeloma in the AYA population using Nordpred models indicate that males will continue to show higher incidence rates than females.

The investigators—including lead study author Jiafeng Zhang, MD, PhD, of the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Naval Medical University, China—emphasized that, despite its rarity in younger populations, multiple myeloma in AYAs represents a clinically meaningful public health issue due to the substantial years of potential life lost.

“The rising global burden of multiple myeloma among AYA populations represents a distinct challenge that requires recognition of young patients' unique biology and decades-long survivorship needs,” the study authors wrote. “The concentration of mortality improvements in high-resource settings, despite a globally increasing incidence, underscores widening inequities affecting young patients with the most life-years at stake. Without coordinated action addressing biological vulnerability, environmental risks, and health-care inequities, multiple myeloma burden in young populations may continue to rise, amplifying preventable morbidity during the prime years of life.”

Blood Global Hematology

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