multiple myeloma affected 488,000 people and resulted in 101,100 deaths in 2015. this is up from 49,000 in 1990. united states in the united states in 2016, an estimated 30,330 new cases and 12,650 deaths were reported. these numbers are based on assumptions made using data from 2011, which estimated the number of people affected as 83,367 people, the number of new cases as 6.1 per 100,000 people per year, and the mortality as 3.4 per 100,000 people per year. multiple myeloma is the second-most prevalent blood cancer (10%) after non-hodgkin's lymphoma. it represents about 1.8% of all new cancers and 2.1% of all cancer deaths. multiple myeloma affects slightly more men than women. african americans and native pacific islanders have the highest reported number of new cases of this disease in the united states and asians the lowest. results of one study found the number of new cases of myeloma to be 9.5 cases per 100,000 african americans and 4.1 cases per 100,000 caucasian americans. among african americans, myeloma is one of the top-10 causes of cancer death. uk myeloma is the 17th-most common cancer in the uk: around 4,800 people were diagnosed with the disease in 2011. it is the 16th-most common cause of cancer death: around 2,700 people died of it in 2012. other animals multiple myeloma has been diagnosed in dogs, cats, and horses. in dogs, multiple myeloma accounts for around 8% of all haemopoietic tumors. multiple myeloma occurs in older dogs and is not particularly associated with either males or females. no breeds appear overrepresented in case reviews that have been conducted. diagnosis in dogs is usually delayed due to the initial nonspecificity and range of clinical signs possible. diagnosis usually involves bone-marrow studies, x-rays, and plasma-protein studies. in dogs, protein studies usually reveal the monoclonal gammaglobulin elevation to be iga or igg in equal number of cases. in rare cases the globulin elevation is igm, which is referred to as waldenström's macroglobulinemia. the prognosis for initial control and return to good quality of life in dogs is good; 43% of dogs started on a combination chemotherapeutic protocol achieved complete remission. long-term survival is normal, with a median of 540 days reported. the disease eventually recurs, becoming resistant to available therapies. the complications of kidney failure, sepsis, or pain can lead to an animal's death, frequently by euthanasia.