What is the life expectancy of someone with multiple myeloma?

The life expectancy for someone with multiple myeloma depends on the stage of the disease when diagnosed, according to the American Cancer Society. Stage I patients have a median survival rate of 62 months. Stage II patients have a life expectancy of 44 months, and stage III is 29 months.

Median survival refers to the amount of time it took for half of the people in a specific study group to die from the disease. Researchers use median survival as an average, but generally, patients can expect to have a better chance than the average median survival rate, according to the American Cancer Society.