 Multiple myeloma MM is an incurable cancer. The disease can often be brought to a halt with chemotherapy which in younger patients is accompanied by stem cell transplantation. But the disease relapses almost invariably. Cytogenetic changes in the myeloma cells can serve as prognostic markers. Accordingly, 25 of the patients show changes associated with a prognosis so poor that they should probably receive experimental treatment right from the start. Nevertheless, a part of these patients survive much longer than expected. Thus, the prognosis must depend on additional genetic events. 