Malek, Ehsan

BackgroundMultiple myeloma (MM) with the translocation t(11;14) may have inferior outcomes in comparison with other standard‐risk MM, and it has been suggested to portend a worse prognosis in African Americans in comparison with Whites. This study used the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database to examine the impact of t(11;14) on the clinical outcomes of patients with MM of African American and White descent.MethodsThis study evaluated 3538 patients who underwent autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (autoHCT) for MM from 2008 to 2016 and were reported to the CIBMTR. Patients were analyzed in 4 groups: African Americans with t(11;14) (n = 117), African Americans without t(11;14) (n = 968), Whites with t(11;14) (n = 266), and Whites without t(11;14) (n = 2187).ResultsAfrican Americans with t(11;14) were younger, had lower Karnofsky scores, and had more advanced stage MM with a higher Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation–Comorbidity Index (HCT‐CI). Fewer African Americans with t(11;14) (21%) had a coexistent high‐risk marker in comparison with Whites with t(11;14) (27%). In a multivariate analysis, race and t(11;14) had no association with progression‐free survival. However, overall survival was superior among African Americans with t(11;14) in comparison with Whites with t(11;14) (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.30‐0.93; P = .03). Survival was also associated with female sex, stage, time from diagnosis to transplant, a low HCT‐CI, and receipt of maintenance.ConclusionsRace may have a differential impact on the survival of patients with t(11;14) MM who undergo autoHCT and needs to be further studied.

BackgroundUpfront autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) remains an important therapy in the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), a disease of older adults.MethodsThe authors investigated the outcomes of AHCT in patients with MM who were aged ≥70 years. The Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR) database registered 15,999 patients with MM in the United States within 12 months of diagnosis during 2013 through 2017; a total of 2092 patients were aged ≥70 years. Nonrecurrence mortality (NRM), disease recurrence and/or progression (relapse; REL), progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were modeled using Cox proportional hazards models with age at transplantation as the main effect. Because of the large sample size, a P value <.01 was considered to be statistically significant a priori.ResultsAn increase in AHCT was noted in 2017 (28%) compared with 2013 (15%) among patients aged ≥70 years. Although approximately 82% of patients received melphalan (Mel) at a dose of 200 mg/m2 overall, 58% of the patients aged ≥70 years received Mel at a dose of 140 mg/m2. On multivariate analysis, patients aged ≥70 years demonstrated no difference with regard to NRM (hazard ratio [HR] 1.3; 99% confidence interval [99% CI], 1‐1.7 [P = .06]), REL (HR, 1.03; 99% CI, 0.9‐1.1 [P = 0.6]), PFS (HR, 1.06; 99% CI, 1‐1.2 [P = 0.2]), and OS (HR, 1.2; 99% CI, 1‐1.4 [P = .02]) compared with the reference group (those aged 60‐69 years). In patients aged ≥70 years, Mel administered at a dose of 140 mg/m2 was found to be associated with worse outcomes compared with Mel administered at a dose of 200 mg/m2, including day 100 NRM (1% [95% CI, 1%‐2%] vs 0% [95% CI, 0%‐1%]; P = .003]), 2‐year PFS (64% [95% CI, 60%‐67%] vs 69% [95% CI, 66%‐73%]; P = .003), and 2‐year OS (85% [95% CI, 82%‐87%] vs 89% [95% CI, 86%‐91%]; P = .01]), likely representing frailty.ConclusionsThe results of the current study demonstrated that AHCT remains an effective consolidation therapy among patients with MM across all age groups.