Although previous studies indicated that patients with various lymphoid malignancies mobilising large numbers of CD34+ cells (‘super mobilisers’) enjoy improved survival following autologous stem cell transplantation (Stockerl-Goldstein et al, 2000; Gordan et al, 2003; Bolwell et al, 2007; Hiwase et al, 2008), such data are lacking so far for myeloma patients. Here, CD34 is linked to plasma cell myeloma.