Steinhardt, Maximilian J.

ABSTRACT High dose melphalan (HDM) with autologous stem cell transplant is an established treatment for systemic light chain amyloidosis, but its incremental benefit in the era of effective standard intensity therapy is unknown. We retrospectively analyzed 475 transplant‐eligible patients who completed standard intensity treatment with or without HDM within 12 months at six centers in Europe and the United States between 2010 and 2024 to evaluate outcomes by baseline risk factors, hematologic response, and receipt of HDM. Death was an equally competing risk after the 12‐month landmark chosen to address early non‐proportional hazards and to ensure completion of first‐line therapy. BMPC > 20% was associated with inferior outcomes (HR 1.7), and gain/amp 1q with shorter TTP (HR 2.15), whereas other high‐risk FISH abnormalities were not. In multivariable models, VGPR/CR after standard intensity therapy was associated with longer TTP (HR 0.49/0.29), while gain/amp 1q remained independently associated with shorter TTP (HR 2.18). Receipt of daratumumab and HDM were associated with longer TTP (HR 0.44/0.61). HDM benefited patients who had not achieved CR after standard intensity therapy (mTTP 21.0 vs. 5.7 months without HDM), whereas patients already in CR did not benefit. Higher BMPC at diagnosis was associated with earlier progression in patients not receiving HDM (HR 1.9 for 5%–20% and 4.09 for > 20%), a risk attenuated in the HDM cohort. Gain/amp 1q remained associated with shorter TTP regardless of HDM exposure. These findings support a selective role for HDM, primarily benefiting patients with residual disease after standard intensity therapy or higher BMPC burden at diagnosis.

e19564 Background: Risk stratification in multiple myeloma (MM) relies on baseline staging systems and cytogenetic abnormalities, yet early relapse occurs in a subset of patients despite favorable risk features. Prior studies showed that clonal plasma cell S-phase assessed by flow cytometry using the plasma cell proliferation (PCPRO) assay at diagnosis and at autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) identifies biologically high-risk disease. The prognostic significance of clonal plasma cell S-phase following ASCT has not been well defined. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed MM patients who underwent ASCT within one year of diagnosis between January 1, 2013, and August 31, 2024. Patients without available post-ASCT clonal plasma cell S-phase assessment were excluded, yielding 150 evaluable patients. The proportion of clonal plasma cells in S-phase was determined by DNA content between G0/G1 and G2/M peaks and reported as a percentage. S-phase was assessed at the first post-ASCT marrow evaluation at day +60 (D45–75) and/or day +100 (D76–130), using the earlier assessment when both were available. Patients were classified as low (<2%) or high (≥2%) post-ASCT S-phase. Landmark progression-free survival (PFS) analyses were performed from the post-transplant assessment. Multivariable Cox models adjusted for cytogenetic risk, maintenance therapy, disease response at transplantation, International Staging System (ISS), and age. Results: Among 150 evaluable patients, 36 (24%) had high post-ASCT S-phase (≥2%) and 114 (76%) had low post-ASCT S-phase (<2%). Median age at ASCT was higher in the high S-phase group (64.5 vs 61.0 years; p=0.063), and advanced ISS stage (II/III) was more frequent (78% vs 57%; p=0.02). Cytogenetic risk, induction regimen, depth of response at transplantation, and maintenance therapy were similar between groups. Patients with high post-ASCT S-phase had significantly inferior PFS compared with those with low S-phase (median 17.0 vs 39.7 months; p=0.0003). On multivariable analysis, post-ASCT S-phase ≥2% remained independently associated with inferior PFS (HR 1.76, 95% CI 1.00–3.09; p=0.049). In an exploratory analysis among patients with paired S-phase assessments at the time of ASCT and post-ASCT, dynamic S-phase trajectories further stratified outcomes. Median PFS was longest in patients with persistently low S-phase (low→low; 39.7 months), intermediate in those converting from high to low S-phase (high→low; 27.2 months), and shortest in patients with newly emergent or persistently high post-ASCT S-phase (low→high: 15.0 months; high→high: 11.0 months) p=0.0019. Conclusions: Elevated proliferative activity of residual clonal plasma cells following ASCT identifies a biologically high-risk subset of MM patients with early relapse. Dynamic changes in post-ASCT S-phase further refine post-transplant risk stratification.