Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma diagnosed between January 2017 and January 2020, pre‐ and post‐ the first confirmed case of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in Australia
| Characteristic | Post‐COVID‐19 | Pre‐COVID‐19 | P‐value |
|---|---|---|---|
| n (%) | 40 (28) | 104 (72) | |
| Median age (range) (years) | 64.5 (39–85) | 70 (34–91) | 0.049 |
| Sex | |||
| Male/female (%) | 26/14 (65) | 67/37 (64) | 1.00 |
| International staging system stage, n (%) | |||
| I | 7 (18) | 16 (15) | 0.81 |
| II | 9 (23) | 27 (26) | |
| III | 24 (60) | 54 (52) | |
| Incomplete | 0 (0) | 7 (7) | |
| Revised international staging system stage, n (%) | |||
| I | 3 (8) | 13 (13) | 0.41 |
| II | 15 (38) | 45 (43) | |
| III | 11 (28) | 20 (19) | |
| Incomplete | 11 (28) | 26 (25) | |
| Cytogenetics | |||
| High risk, n (%) | 4 (10) | 8 (9) | 0.74 |
| t (4;14) | 2 (5) | 4 (4) | |
| t (14;16) | 0 (0) | 1 (1) | |
| del17p13 | 2 (5) | 3 (3) | |
| Median paraprotein (g/L) | 36 | 23 | 0.03 |
| Bony disease, n (%) | 25 (63) | 61 (60) | 0.71 |
| Severe bone disease requiring radiotherapy or surgery, n (%) | 14 (35) | 14 (13) | 0.008 |
| Emergency department presentation, n (%) | 31 (78) | 55 (53) | 0.008 |