Home Hematology and Oncology Younger Patients With Multiple Myeloma Can Achieve Durable Survival

Younger Patients With Multiple Myeloma Can Achieve Durable Survival

Depth of response following autologous stem cell transplant remains a key predictor of survival

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Younger adults with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who receive an autologous stem cell transplant (auto-HCT) have a median progression-free survival (PFS) of approximately 3.5 years and a median overall survival (OS) of 12 years, according to a study published online June 27 in the British Journal of Haematology.

Oren Pasvolsky, M.D., from University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and colleagues performed a retrospective chart review to characterize outcomes for 117 younger patients with a median age of 37 years (range, 22 to 40 years) undergoing auto-HCT for multiple myeloma at the MD Anderson Cancer Center.

The researchers report that before transplant, 10 percent of patients achieved at least complete response (≥CR) and 44 percent achieved at least very good partial response (≥VGPR). For best posttransplant response, 56 and 77 percent achieved ≥CR and ≥VGPR, respectively. Median PFS and OS were 43.1 and 146.6 months, respectively. Compared with patients transplanted earlier, patients undergoing auto-HCT after 2010 had better median PFS (84.9 versus 28.2 months) and OS (not reached versus 91.8 months). Achieving ≥CR as best posttransplant response was associated with improved PFS (hazard ratio, 0.55); achieving ≥VGPR was predictive of superior OS (hazard ratio, 0.32).

“Younger multiple myeloma patients had durable survival after auto-HCT, which further improved after the availability of novel antimyeloma drugs in recent years,” the authors write.

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