Abstract The objective of the study was to assess racial disparities in the treatment and outcomes among white, African American, and Hispanic patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients with an MM diagnosis from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER)–Medicare (2007-2013) database were included. Continuous Medicare enrollment for 6 months before (baseline) and after MM diagnosis was required unless death occurred. Time from MM diagnosis to novel therapy initiation and autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), overall survival (OS), and MM-specific survival (MSS) was evaluated. Unadjusted and multivariable regressions compared African Americans and Hispanics vs whites. Trends of novel therapy and ASCT use across MM diagnosis years were assessed using linear regression models. The study included 3504 whites, 858 African Americans, and 468 Hispanics. African Americans and Hispanics had a longer time from MM diagnosis to novel therapy initiation vs whites (median: 5.2 and 4.6 vs 2.7 months, respectively). All cohorts had an increasing trend of novel therapy initiation within 6 months of MM diagnosis, particularly whites (all P < .05). Median MSS was significantly longer for African Americans (5.4 years) than whites (4.5 years; P < .05), and was comparable for Hispanics and whites. Median OS was similar overall (2.6-2.8 years). ASCT rate within 1 year of MM diagnosis rose among whites and African Americans (P < .05), but not Hispanics, who were less likely to receive ASCT vs whites. Significant variations in novel therapy and ASCT use were observed among different racial/ethnic groups with MM. Although OS was similar, both African Americans and Hispanics may not be fully benefitting from the introduction of novel therapies, as they receive them later than whites.
Survival gains in multiple myeloma from 2003 to 2014.
98 Background: Survival probabilities for patients with multiple myeloma have increased considerably over the past several decades, and a conservative estimate of 5-year survival today is approximately 50%, perhaps higher with optimal treatment. Treatment options for multiple myeloma have grown significantly beginning in 2003 with the approval of bortezomib, followed by approvals for lenalidomide and thalidomide in 2006. The second wave of novel agent approvals began in 2012 with carfilzomib, followed by pomalidomide in 2013. The aim of this study was to estimate the survival gains associated with multiple myeloma therapies after the introduction of novel therapies beginning in 2003 in the United States. Methods: We estimated survival gains for multiple myeloma patients diagnosed in the 5-year period from 2010-2014—who had access to newer therapies like lenalidomide, bortezomib, pomalidomide, and carfilzomib—compared with patients diagnosed in the 5 years prior to the approval of bortezomib (1998–2002). We used data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program cancer registry and a generalized gamma regression survival model. The sample from SEER included patients aged > 18 years who had a diagnosis of multiple myeloma between 1983 and 2014. Results: Of 88,462 patients identified in the full sample, 14,446 patients were diagnosed in 1998–2002 and 25,948 patients were diagnosed in 2010–2014. Overall survival was 51% longer ( P< 0.001) in multiple myeloma patients diagnosed in 2010–2014 than in patients diagnosed in 1998–2002. Patients diagnosed in 2010–2014 had median and mean survival of 1.32 and 2.27 years longer, respectively, than patients diagnosed in 1998–2002. Conclusions: Patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma during 2010–2014 had significant improvement in survival relative to patients diagnosed in 1998–2002. This study found continued improvement in survival in multiple myeloma patients in the most recent 5-years of survival data available, demonstrating the considerable progress made since the wave of multiple myeloma innovation began in 2003.
Novel treatment (Tx) use and associated outcomes among African American patients (pts) with multiple myeloma (MM): A SEER-Medicare analysis.