Solitary plasmacytoma is an infrequent form of plasma cell dyscrasia that presents as a single mass of monoclonal plasma cells, located either extramedullary or intraosseous. In some patients, a bone ...marrow aspiration can detect a low monoclonal plasma cell infiltration which indicates a high risk of early progression to an overt myeloma disease. Before treatment initiation, whole body positron emission tomography-computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be performed to exclude the presence of additional malignant lesions. For decades, treatment has been based on high-dose radiation, but studies exploring the potential benefit of systemic therapies for high-risk patients are urgently needed. In this review, a panel of expert European hematologists updates the recommendations on the diagnosis and management of patients with solitary plasmacytoma.
Engraftment syndrome (ES) is increasingly observed in patients who receive auto-SCT. To investigate this fact, validate the clinical criteria for ES diagnosis and analyze the risk factors for this ...complication, we reviewed 328 consecutive peripheral blood auto-SCT performed during the past 7 years. A total of 43 patients presented with clinical or biological data suggestive of ES. Of the total, 41 (95%) and 22 (51%) could be diagnosed with ES using the Maiolino criteria (MC) and the Spitzer criteria (SC), respectively. The SC were less sensitive as they do not consider some relevant clinical data and limit the observation time after engraftment. All ES cases had high C-reactive protein (CRP) values not observed in the remaining patients at engraftment (median +/- s.d.: 17.5 +/- 7.3 vs 2.4 +/- 3.4 mg per 100 ml; P=0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed a higher risk of ES in SCT performed in recent years (relative risk (RR) 2.3, 95% confidence interval (CI 1.0-4.7), female patients (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.2), and absence of intensive chemotherapy before SCT (RR 8.8, 95% CI 3.3-20.5). All patients except one improved after treatment with corticosteroids. The MC seem to be the best tool to establish a diagnosis of ES. In doubtful cases, the diagnosis could be confirmed by evaluating CRP. Auto-SCT in patients not receiving previous chemotherapy could explain the increasing incidence of ES in the past years.
Multiple myeloma Bladé, J.; Cibeira, M. Teresa; Fernández de Larrea, C. ...
Annals of oncology,
10/2010, Letnik:
21, Številka:
suppl-7
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Multiple myeloma (MM) constitutes 1% of malignant diseases and 15% of haematological malignancies. In virtually all patients MM is preceded by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance ...(MGUS). The cause of monoclonal gammopathies and the mechanisms of progression are unknown. The diagnosis of MM requires the presence of an M-protein in serum and/or urine, increased bone marrow plasma cells and related organ or tissue impairment. Cytogenetic status, serum β2-microglobulin and response to therapy are the key prognostic factors. The treatment of younger patients with MM should include a triple-agent induction regimen (i.e. bortezomib/thalidomide/dexamethasone), autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and consolidation and maintenance incorporating novel agents along with sequential minimal residual disease studies to determine for how long treatment is still of benefit. Allogeneic transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning is promising but remains experimental. For patients not eligible for ASCT the best initial regimens are melphalan/prednisone/thalidomide (MPT), melphalan/prednisone/bortezomib (MPV) and lenalidomide/dexamethasone. In relapsing patients, the choice of salvage therapy should depend on: (i) the components of initial therapy, (ii) the degree and duration of response, (iii) type of relapse: aggressive versus indolent, (iv) previous toxicities and (v) age and performance status. A sequential approach is preferred over combination of multiple agents. Supportive measures include the use of bisphosphonates and erythropoietin according to the updated guidelines.
The randomized phase 3 study ENDEAVOR demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) for carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) vs ...bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM). We conducted a preplanned subgroup analysis of ENDEAVOR to evaluate Kd vs Vd by cytogenetic risk. Of 785 patients with known cytogenetics, 210 (27%) had high-risk cytogenetics (Kd, n=97 (25%); Vd, n=113 (28%)) and 575 (73%) had standard-risk cytogenetics (Kd, n=284 (75%); Vd, n=291 (72%)). Median PFS in the high-risk group was 8.8 months for Kd vs 6.0 months for Vd (hazard ratio (HR), 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.45-0.92; P=0.0075). Median PFS in the standard-risk group was not estimable for Kd vs 10.2 months for Vd (HR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.33-0.58; P<0.0001). Overall response rates were 72.2% (Kd) vs 58.4% (Vd) in the high-risk group and 79.2% (Kd) vs 66.0% (Vd) in the standard-risk group. In the high-risk group, 15.5% (Kd) vs 4.4% (Vd) achieved a complete response (CR) or better. In the standard-risk group, 13.0% (Kd) vs 7.9% (Vd) achieved ⩾CR. This preplanned subgroup analysis found that Kd was superior to Vd in relapsed or refractory MM, regardless of cytogenetic risk.
Persistence of minimal residual disease (MRD) after treatment for myeloma predicts inferior outcomes, but within MRD-positive patients there is great heterogeneity with both early and very late ...relapses. Among different MRD techniques, flow cytometry provides additional information about antigen expression on tumor cells, which could potentially contribute to stratify MRD-positive patients. We investigated the prognostic value of those antigens required to monitor MRD in 1265 newly diagnosed patients enrolled in the GEM2000, GEM2005MENOS65, GEM2005MAS65 and GEM2010MAS65 protocols. Overall, CD19
, CD27
, CD38
, CD45
, CD81
, CD117
and CD138
expression predicted inferior outcomes. Through principal component analysis, we found that simultaneous CD38
CD81
CD117
expression emerged as the most powerful combination with independent prognostic value for progression-free survival (HR:1.69; P=0.002). This unique phenotypic profile retained prognostic value among MRD-positive patients. We then used next-generation flow to determine antigen stability throughout the course of the disease, and found that the expression of antigens required to monitor MRD is mostly stable from diagnosis to MRD stages, except for CD81 whose expression progressively increased from baseline to chemoresistant tumor cells (14 vs 28%). Altogether, we showed that the phenotypic profile of tumor cells provides additional prognostic information, and could be used to further predict risk of relapse among MRD-positive patients.
This randomized, phase III, open-label, multicenter study compared carfilzomib monotherapy against low-dose corticosteroids and optional cyclophosphamide in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma ...(RRMM). Relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma patients were randomized (1:1) to receive carfilzomib (10-min intravenous infusion; 20 mg/m
on days 1 and 2 of cycle 1; 27 mg/m
thereafter) or a control regimen of low-dose corticosteroids (84 mg of dexamethasone or equivalent corticosteroid) with optional cyclophosphamide (1400 mg) for 28-day cycles. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Three-hundred and fifteen patients were randomized to carfilzomib (n=157) or control (n=158). Both groups had a median of five prior regimens. In the control group, 95% of patients received cyclophosphamide. Median OS was 10.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 8.4-14.4) vs 10.0 months (95% CI 7.7-12.0) with carfilzomib vs control (hazard ratio=0.975; 95% CI 0.760-1.249; P=0.4172). Progression-free survival was similar between groups; overall response rate was higher with carfilzomib (19.1 vs 11.4%). The most common grade ⩾3 adverse events were anemia (25.5 vs 30.7%), thrombocytopenia (24.2 vs 22.2%) and neutropenia (7.6 vs 12.4%) with carfilzomib vs control. Median OS for single-agent carfilzomib was similar to that for an active doublet control regimen in heavily pretreated RRMM patients.
Patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) meet the diagnostic criteria of multiple myeloma (MM) but are asymptomatic. Between January 1978 and July 2001, 53 patients (median age 63 years) were ...diagnosed with SMM. The median serum M‐protein and proportion of bone marrow plasma cells were 36 g/l and 27% respectively. Two subsets of SMM were identified: (i) evolving SMM (n = 22), characterized by a progressive increase in serum M‐protein, a previously recognized monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and a significant higher proportion of IgA type and (ii) non‐evolving SMM (n = 26) with stable M‐protein that abruptly increases when symptomatic MM develops. Thirty‐four patients developed symptomatic MM. The median time to progression in the overall series was 3·2 years and the only feature associated with a shorter time to progression was the evolving versus non‐evolving type (1·3 vs. 3·9 years respectively, P = 0·007). The pattern of progression consisted of anaemia, lytic bone lesions or both, without renal failure, hypercalcaemia or extramedullary plasmacytomas. Fifty‐seven per cent of patients that required chemotherapy showed no or minimal response. The median survival from diagnosis and from progression was 8·2 and 3·5 years respectively.
The randomized phase 3 ENDEAVOR study (N=929) compared carfilzomib and dexamethasone (Kd) with bortezomib and dexamethasone (Vd) in relapsed multiple myeloma (RMM). We performed a subgroup analysis ...from ENDEAVOR in patients categorized by number of prior lines of therapy or by prior treatment. Median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with one prior line was 22.2 months for Kd vs 10.1 months for Vd, and median PFS for patients with ⩾2 prior lines was 14.9 months for Kd vs 8.4 months for Vd. For patients with prior bortezomib exposure, the median PFS was 15.6 months for Kd vs 8.1 months for Vd, and for patients with prior lenalidomide exposure the median PFS was 12.9 months for Kd vs 7.3 months for Vd. Overall response rates (Kd vs Vd) were 81.9 vs 65.5% (one prior line), 72.0 vs 59.7% (⩾2 prior lines), 71.2 vs 60.3% (prior bortezomib) and 70.1 vs 59.3% (prior lenalidomide). The safety profile in the prior lines subgroups was qualitatively similar to that in the broader ENDEAVOR population. In RMM, outcomes are improved when receiving treatment with carfilzomib compared with bortezomib, regardless of the number of prior therapy lines or prior exposure to bortezomib or lenalidomide.
The phase III trial GEM05MENOS65 randomized 390 patients 65 years old or younger with newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) to receive induction with thalidomide/dexamethasone, ...bortezomib/thalidomide/dexamethasone and Vincristine, BCNU, melphalan, cyclophosphamide, prednisone/vincristine, BCNU, doxorubicin, dexamethasone bortezomib (VBMCP/VBAD/B) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) with MEL-200. After ASCT, a second randomization was performed to compare thalidomide/bortezomib (TV), thalidomide (T) and alfa-2b interferon (alfa2-IFN). Maintenance treatment consisted of TV (thalidomide 100 mg daily plus one cycle of intravenous bortezomib at 1.3 mg/m
on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 every 3 months) versus T (100 mg daily) versus alfa2-IFN (3 MU three times per week) for up to 3 years. A total of 271 patients were randomized (TV: 91; T: 88; alfa2-IFN: 92). The complete response (CR) rate with maintenance was improved by 21% with TV, 11% with T and 17% with alfa2-IFN (P, not significant). After a median follow-up of 58.6 months, the progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer with TV compared with T and alfa2-IFN (50.6 vs 40.3 vs 32.5 months, P=0.03). Overall survival was not significantly different among the three arms. Grade 2-3 peripheral neuropathy was observed in 48.8%, 34.4% and 1% of patients treated with TV, T and alfa2-IFN, respectively. In conclusion, bortezomib and thalidomide maintenance resulted in a significantly longer PFS when compared with thalidomide or alfa2-IFN. (no. EUDRA 2005-001110-41).