A study in 10 patients (eight male, two female; mean age 61.9 +/- 10.7 years) suffering from multiple myeloma (MM) and end-stage renal failure (ESRF) is detailed. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) was the preferred mode of chronic dialysis in all the patients. Survival after diagnosis was 32.2 +/- 23.9 months. Survival after starting dialysis was 24.6 +/- 20.6 months. All patients on CAPD were adequately dialyzed and in good fluid control. Peritonitis was the main problem on CAPD (one episode per 5.6 patient-months). The majority of peritonitis episodes responded to intraperitoneal antibiotic therapy. One patient with Staphylococcus aureus peritonitis, septicemia, and neutropenia secondary to chemotherapy, died. Recommendations for prophylaxis and treatment of peritonitis are given. Three patients were transferred to hemodialysis. The use of subclavian vein catheters during hemodialysis was associated with a high incidence of gram-positive septicemia. Alkylating agent-based chemotherapy resulted in hematological responses in five patients. Survival after diagnosis in those responders was 47.4 +/- 25.6 months, compared with 17.0 +/- 7.2 months in the nonresponders (P less than 0.05). All responders subsequently relapsed. Four patients died with progressive myeloma. Bone marrow suppression resulted in a high blood transfusion requirement, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia associated with bleeding into the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system. Uremic myeloma patients can be adequately dialyzed using CAPD. Those patients who do not have an initial hematological response have a poor prognosis.