Al Saleh, Abdullah S

AbstractMultiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease despite incorporation of novel agents. Venetoclax, a B‐cell lymphoma 2 (BCL‐2) inhibitor is approved for some hematologic malignancies but not yet for MM, although clinical trials have shown efficacy in patients with MM, particularly those harboring t(11;14). We reviewed the medical records of relapsed and/or refractory MM patients to study the efficacy and safety of venetoclax used outside of clinical trials at Mayo Clinic between December, 2016 and March, 2019. The data cut‐off date was August 06, 2020. We identified 56 patients of whom 42 (75%) harbored t(11;14). The median number of prior therapies was six (range 1–15) and 14% of patients had received ≥10 prior lines of therapy. Fifty‐three (95%) patients were refractory to an immunomodulatory drug and proteasome inhibitor. Venetoclax was used as monotherapy or doublet, in combination with dexamethasone in 55% (n = 31) and a triplet or quadruplet in 45% of patients. No patient experienced tumor lysis syndrome. Overall response rate in 52 evaluable patients was 44%. The median time to best response was 2 months and median duration of response was 13.6 months. The median PFS for the entire cohort was 5.8 (95% CI 4.9–10.3) months and median OS was 28.4 (95% CI 14.6‐not reached) months. The presence of t(11;14) was associated with improved PFS (median 9.7 months vs. 4.2 months, p = 0.019) and OS (median not reached vs. 10.8 9 months, p = 0.015). Venetoclax demonstrates encouraging activity in heavily‐treated patients with relapsed/refractory MM, particularly the t(11;14) patient‐population.

Abstract Gastrointestinal complications of multiple myeloma (MM) treatment are common and include nausea, constipation, and diarrhea. However, acute gastrointestinal events like perforations are rare. We aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with MM that had colonic perforations during their treatment. This is a retrospective study that included patients from all three Mayo Clinic sites who had MM and developed a colonic perforation. All patients were diagnosed with colonic perforations based on CT scans and were surgically treated. Patients diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, a perforated colon complicating neutropenic colitis during ASCT and those with perforation due to colonic cancer were excluded. A high dose of dexamethasone was defined as ≥40 mg dexamethasone once a week. Thirty patients met inclusion criteria. All patients received steroids at doses ≥10 mg once weekly prior to the perforation, while four (11%) were on high‐dose dexamethasone without chemotherapy. Fourteen patients were given high doses of dexamethasone. Twenty‐five patients required ostomies with all surviving surgery. Twenty‐four perforations (80%) were associated with diverticulitis. Treatment with steroids was resumed in 23 patients with no further gastrointestinal complications. The median OS was 20 months following perforation (IQR 8–59). Within the same timeframe 5854 patients were treated at Mayo Clinic for MM, making the risk of bowel perforation 0.5%. Intestinal perforations in MM are rare and, in our series, always occurred with dexamethasone ≥10 mg per week. Urgent surgery is lifesaving and resumption of anti‐myeloma treatment appears to be safe.

AbstractRisk stratification of multiple myeloma (MM) at diagnosis is critical. We examined the ability of hematopoietic indices including mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hemoglobin (Hgb), and platelet (Plt) to predict outcomes. This was a retrospective study of patients treated at Mayo Clinic between January 2004 and April 2018. We incorporated three variables (Hgb < 10 g/dL, Plt < 150 × 109/L, and MCV > 96 fL), assigning a score of 1 to each. We identified 1540 newly diagnosed MM patients, of whom 707 (46%) had a score of 0, 513 (33%) had a score of 1, 260 (17%) had a score of 2, and 60 (4%) had a score of 3. The score risk stratified patients into four groups with differing survivals. The median PFS was 32.3 months for score 0, 24.8 months for score 1, 21.7 months for score 2, and 18.3 months for score 3, for P < .001. The median OS was 80.7 months for score 0, 59.9 months for score 1, 51.7 months for score 2, and 31.3 months for score 3, P < .0001. Predictors of OS on the multivariable analysis were age ≥ 65 (HR, 1.93; P < .0001), R‐ISS stage (1‐2 vs 3) (HR, 0.48; P < .0001), and hematopoietic score (0‐2 vs 3) (HR, 0.51; P = .006). A hematopoietic score can predict survival in newly diagnosed myeloma patients.

AbstractThe role of consolidation post autologous stem cell transplant in light chain amyloidosis is not well defined. We retrospectively identified patients who had light chain amyloidosis and underwent autologous stem cell transplant at the Mayo Clinic. Consolidation was defined as any treatment given after the day 100 evaluation post‐transplant to maintain or deepen the response. We identified 471 patients, of whom 72 (15%) received consolidation. Patients receiving consolidation had more advanced disease (Mayo 2012 stage ≥II in 67% vs 52%, P = .02), and had lower day 100 response rates (very good partial response or better: 35% vs 84%, P < .001). After consolidation, rates of very good partial response improved from 24% to 28%, and rates of complete response improved from 11% to 40%. Patients with less than very good partial response who received consolidation, had better progression‐free survival (median of 22.4 vs 8.8 months, P < .001), and the benefit was greater in those who deepened their response (median of 41 vs 8.8 months, P < .001). In patients with less than very good partial response, there was a trend for better overall survival in patients who responded to consolidation (median of 125.8 vs 74.4 months, P = .07). In patients who achieved very good partial response, or better, at day 100 post autologous stem cell transplant, consolidation did not improve progression‐free or overall survival. Consolidation after autologous stem cell transplant for light chain amyloidosis improves progression‐free survival for patients who achieve less than very good partial response.