Dr Thomas Kuczmarski speaks to ecancer about association between extreme heat exposures and survival in patients with multiple myeloma.

He says that in a large national analysis of over 350,000 patients with multiple myeloma, exposure to prolonged extreme heat during the week following diagnosis was associated with worse overall survival.

While short heat exposures (1–3 days) had minimal impact, exposure to four or more consecutive days of extreme heat significantly increased mortality risk in a dose-dependent manner.

These findings highlight peri-diagnostic vulnerability in multiple myeloma and underscore the potential impact of climate change–related heat events on cancer outcomes, supporting the need for targeted protective strategies during extreme heat periods.