Citations

Summary Improvement in survival in Light chain (AL) amyloidosis has been seen over recent decades, enabling more patients to achieve long‐term survival. Patients with AL amyloidosis who survived ≥10 years from time of diagnosis ( n = 186) were the subject of this study. Ten‐year survivors represented 22% of the total population. These patients were characterized by favourable patient, organ and plasma cell features. Of note, trisomies were less common among 10‐year survivors compared to those who did not survive to 10 years. All‐time best haematological response was complete response in 67%, very good partial response in 30%, partial response in 2% and no response in 1%, with 11% having received a consolidative strategy for inadequate response to first line therapy. The overall organ response rate to first‐line therapy was 76%, which increased to 86% when considering subsequent line(s) of therapy. Forty‐seven percent of the 10‐year survivors did not require a second‐line therapy. The median treatment‐free survival (TFS) among the 10‐year survivors was 10·5 years (interquartile range 7·4‐12·2). On multivariate analysis independent predictors for TFS were the achievement of complete haematological response and lack of cardiac involvement. Long‐term survivors are increasingly seen in AL amyloidosis and present distinct patient, organ and clonal disease features.

Abstract In appropriately selected patients with AL amyloidosis, autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is an established treatment modality with excellent outcomes and decreasing transplant related mortality (TRM) over time. We report on 15‐year overall survival (OS) in 159 patients undergoing ASCT from 1996 to 2003, with median follow up of 17.1 years. Day 100 TRM was 13.2% (n = 21). The OS of ≥15 years was observed in 30% (47/159) of patients. Patients surviving ≥15 years were younger (53 vs 56 years, P = .02), less likely to have lambda as the involved light chain (62% vs 78%, P = .03) and were less likely to have heart involvement (32% vs 56%, P = .005). Median OS of patients with heart involvement vs not was 4.0 vs 11.1 years, P = .006 and actuarial 15‐year OS was 23% vs 43%, respectively. A higher proportion of patients with OS ≥15 years received full‐dose melphalan conditioning (81% vs 61%, P = .01), and achieved day 100 complete response (CR) (64% vs 24%, P < .001). Median OS amongst patients who achieved CR vs not was 19.3 vs 5.4 years, P < .001. Heart involvement, receiving full‐dose melphalan and achieving CR remained independent predictors of OS. AL amyloidosis and related complications were the cause of death in 52% of patients overall (1‐5 years post‐transplant: 81%; 5‐10 years: 62% and 10‐15 years: 55%). These results reinforce the key role of ASCT in AL amyloidosis. With improvements in TRM and more options for relapsed disease, we expect the long‐term survival post‐transplant to improve significantly in the future.

AbstractObjectivesDescribe the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes of postsurgical thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA).MethodsIn this retrospective study, records of individuals diagnosed with TMA developing within 30 days of a surgical procedure at Mayo Clinic from 2000 to 2016 were reviewed. Available literature regarding postsurgical TMA was comparatively reviewed.ResultsTwenty patients were diagnosed with TMA developing within 30 (median 6.5, range (1‐28)) days) following a procedure. Preceding procedures included orthopedic (n = 4), vascular (n = 4), abdominal (n = 8), thoracic (n = 2), and other (n = 2). Review of the literature identified 65 patients with postsurgical TMA and cardiovascular procedures were the most common preceding surgery. The majority of patients in the current cohort and literature were treated with therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). Among the evaluable patients in the current cohort, 100% demonstrated response to TPE; however, 25% required the addition of other therapy including eculizumab to maintain a response 80% of patients in the literature demonstrated a response to TPE.ConclusionsAlthough rare, early recognition and treatment of postsurgical TMA can lead to good outcomes. More research is necessary to determine the underlying pathophysiology and optimal treatment for postsurgical TMA.

BackgroundThere exist insufficient data characterizing patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who experienced prolonged survival. A population‐based analysis of long‐term survivors was conducted to investigate the roles of sociodemographic factors and upfront stem cell transplantation (SCT).MethodsThe National Cancer Data Base is a US cancer database of approximately 34 million patients from >1500 cancer centers. Patients with MM were identified using the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD‐O) code 9732 from January 2004 to December 2006 and were divided into 4 groups based on overall survival (OS). Sociodemographic characteristics, treatment facility, and use of SCT were recorded. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using multiple logistic regression and Pearson chi‐square tests.ResultsA total of 26,986 patients with MM were identified. The median OS was 2.74 years. The majority of patients were male (54%), white (77%), insured (93%) and otherwise healthy (78%), lived in a metropolitan area (82%), were of high income (66%) and educational (58%) levels, and received treatment at nonacademic facilities (63%). Upfront SCT was used in 10% of patients. One in 6 patients (16%) were long‐term survivors (group 4). When comparing group 4 (OS of ≥8.22 years) with the other groups (OS of <8.22 years), young age, female sex, high income and educational levels, residence in a rural area, insured status, no comorbidity, receipt of upfront SCT, and treatment at high‐volume facilities were associated with long‐term survival.ConclusionsKey differences in sociodemographic characteristics, patient volume at treatment facilities, and upfront SCT were associated with long‐term survival. Improvements in health care access and health literacy, upfront SCT, and treatment at high‐volume facilities might prolong patient survival.

Abstract The high-risk abnormality del(17p) can be detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization on malignant plasma cells (PCs) and has an adverse prognostic impact in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients with del(17p) have reduced overall survival (OS). Patients who acquire del(17p) later during the disease course are not well described. The disease characteristics at diagnosis predicting for acquired del(17p) and its overall impact on patient survival is not known. We compared 76 patients with MM who were negative for del(17p) at diagnosis and acquired it later with 152 control MM patients who did not acquire del(17p) at a comparable time point. Patients acquired del(17p) at a median of 35.6 months (range, 4.6-116.1 months) from diagnosis of MM after a median of 2 lines of therapy (range, 1-10 lines of therapy). When compared with controls, patients with acquired del(17p) had shorter median progression-free survival (PFS) (30.1 vs 23.0 months; P = .032) and OS (106.1 vs 68.2 months; P &lt; .001) from diagnosis. After the detection of del(17p), the median PFS was 5.4 months and the median OS was 18.1 months. High lactate dehydrogenase level (odds ratio [OR], 3.69; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-12.24) and presence of t(4;14) (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.09-6.48) or any high-risk translocation (OR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.00-4.95) at diagnosis predicted acquisition of del(17p). High PC proliferative rate predicted shorter OS from detection of del(17p) (hazard ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.31-3.96; P = .004). Our study shows that acquisition of del(17p) is an important molecular event associated with reduction in OS in MM. Certain baseline factors may predict acquisition of del(17p). This needs validation in prospective data sets.