CLINICS 2011;66(11):1855-1859 Table 4 - Post hoc tests comparing the three groups (two by two). POST HOC Test Physical function (SF-36) Physical (QLQ-C30) Role (QLQ-C30) Role (QLQ-C30) Fatigue (QLQ-C30) Fatigue (QLQ-C30) Pain (QLQ-C30) Pain (QLQ-C30) Lack of appetite (QLQ-C30) Constipation (QLQ-C30) Constipation (QLQ-C30) Group p-value Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { Upon diagnosis Post-treatment/Pre-ASCT { Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { Upon diagnosis Post-treatment/Pre-ASCT { Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { Upon diagnosis Post-treatment/Pre-ASCT { Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { Upon diagnosis Post-treatment/Pre-ASCT { Upon diagnosis Post-treatment/Pre-ASCT { Upon diagnosis D+100 ASCT { 0.02 0.011 0.003 0.001 0.003 0.002 0.003 0.042 0.05 0.005 0.016 ASCT - autologous stem cell transplantation. {The group with the superior outcome. Additionally, the QLQ-C30 reflects the benefits of ASCT for the QoL of MM patients from two public Brazilian institutions that provide assistance for economically challenged patients. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V.C.S. was supported by CAPES, Brazil. AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS Etto LY was responsible for the draft of the manuscript, analysis and interpretation of the data. Morelli VM was responsible for the draft of the Quality of life in Brazilian MM patients Etto LY et al. manuscript, analysis and interpretation of the data, and approval of the final version of the manuscript. Silva VC: collected the data. Hungria VTM and Durie B were responsible for the critical revision of the manuscript regarding important intellectual content. Ciconelli R was responsible for the design of the study, analysis and interpretation of the data. Almeida MSS, Oliveira JSR, Barros JC collected the data. Colleoni GWB conceived and designed the study, drafted the article, analyzed and interpreted the data, critically revised the article for important intellectual content, and gave final approval of the version of the article that was submitted. REFERENCES 1. Desikan R, Jagannath S, Richardson P, Munshi N, Barlogie B. MM and other plasma cell dyscrasias, in Pazdur R, Coia LR, Hoskins WJ, Wagman LD (ed): Cancer management: a multidisciplinary approach. PRR Inc, 6th edition. Melville, NY, 2002;pp667-84. 2. Pereira GI, Costa CD, Geocze L, Borim AA, Ciconelli RM, Camacho- Lobato L., et al. Traduc¸a˜o para a l´ıngua portuguesa e validac¸a˜o do questiona´rio gene´rico de avaliac¸a˜o de qualidade de vida SF-36 (Brasil SF- 36). Rev Bras Reumatol. 1999;39:143-50. 3. Aaronson NK, Ahmedzai S, Bergman B. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. J Natl Can Inst. 1993;85:365-76, doi: 10.1093/jnci/85.5.365. 4. Kemmler G, Holzner B, Kopp M, D u¨nser M, Margreiter R, Greil R, et al. Comparison of two quality-of-life instruments for cancer patients: the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general and the european organization for research and treatment of cancer quality of life questionnaire-C 30. J Clin Oncol. 1999;17:2932-40. 5. Gulbrandsen N, Hjermstad MJ, Wisløff F, Nordic Myeloma Study Group. Interpretation of quality of life scores in multiple myeloma by comparison with a reference population and assessment of the clinical importance of score differences. Eur J Haematol. 2004;72:172-80, doi: 10. 1046/j.0902-4441.2003.00195.x. 6. Dudeney S, Lieberman IH, Reinhardt MK, et al. Kyphoplasty in the treatment of osteolytic vertebral compression fractures as a result of multiple myeloma. J Clin Oncol. 2002;20:2382-7, doi: 10.1200/JCO.2002.09.097. 7. Cocks K, Cohen D, Wisløff F, Sezer O, Lee S, Hippe E, et al. An international field study of the realiabiity and validity of a disease- specific questionnaire modulo (the QLQ- My20) in assessing the quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma. Eur J Cancer. 2007;43:1670-8, doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2007.04.022. 8. Sherman AC, Simonton S, Latif U, Plante TG, Anaissie EJ. Changes in quality-of-life and psychosocial adjustment among multiple myeloma patients treated with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant.2009;15:12-20, doi: 10. 1016/j.bbmt.2008.09.023. 1859