OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationships between characteristics of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and clinical and economic outcomes to identify which patient subgroups contribute the greatest clinical and economic burdens. METHODS: Literature was systematically searched for relevant articles published between 2004 and 2014. A database of patient characteristics, outcomes and subgroup-specific information was created and analysed to explore relationships between patient characteristics and outcomes. The coefficient of determination (R) was calculated to examine the strength of these relationships to help to formulate hypotheses for further research. RESULTS: Objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS) were the most commonly reported outcomes, while economic outcomes data were limited. Although patient characteristics varied across studies, several trends were observed. There was a weak correlation between increasing age and higher OS (R = 0.0185) and ORR (R = 0.0305). OS decreased (R = 0.2428) as the proportion of patients with International Staging System (ISS) stage III MM increased; however, only five studies reported OS by ISS subgroup. ORR decreased (R = 0.2843) as the proportions of patients with no prior stem cell transplantation (SCT) increased and a small decrease in OS was observed (R = 0.0280), but SCT eligibility did not demonstrate consistent outcome trends. A trend towards increased OS was seen with previous treatment with bortezomib (R = 0.3057) or thalidomide (R = 0.2612). In contrast, previous treatment with these agents was associated with a worse ORR (R = 0.1926 and R = 0.2617, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: SCT status and prior therapies appear to affect outcomes, and a trend was seen between ISS stage III MM and poor prognosis. This exploratory approach has generated hypotheses for further research into how patient characteristics influence resource use and cost. A better understanding of how patient factors impact on outcomes may facilitate better targeting of treatment.