Multiple myeloma Microchapters |
Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
Case Studies |
Multiple myeloma medical therapy On the Web |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Multiple myeloma medical therapy |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Haytham Allaham, M.D. [2] Shyam Patel [3]
First-line therapies include bortezomib, lenalidomide, dexamethasone, melphalan, and cyclophosphamide. Second-line therapies (used for relapsed or refractory disease) include ixazomib, carfilzomib, daratumumab, elotuzumab, and pomalidomide. Autologous stem cell transplant is done after remission is achieved with chemotherapy. The choice of the treatment regimen partly depends on transplant eligibility. Supportive therapy is an important component of care while patients are receiving anti-cancer therapy.
There is no specific therapy for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). A typical management plan includes routine monitoring of various laboratory measures. The risk stratification can guide the frequency with which blood count monitoring should be done. Laboratory measures that should be monitored include:[1]
Patients with smoldering (asymptomatic) multiple myeloma have a bone marrow plasma cell burden greater than 10% or a serum monoclonal protein of greater than 3 g/dl but no end-organ damage. There are two broad options for management of patients with smoldering multiple myeloma: observation or chemotherapy.
In the past, most patients with smoldering multiple myeloma were managed by observation and follow up tests every 3 to 6 months.[2][3] The management for smoldering multiple myeloma was similar to that of MGUS. This observation (or watchful waiting) approach involves monitoring of laboratory measures including:
It is now known that smoldering multiple myeloma carries an inevitable risk of progression to active multiple myeloma. Smoldering multiple myeloma carries a higher risk of progression to active multiple myeloma compared to that of MGUS. Most patients with smoldering multiple myeloma will have eventual progression of disease. Therefore, there is currently a trend towards the use of chemotherapy for patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. In a randomized clinical trial from 2013, it was shown that the combination of lenalidomide plus dexamethasone resulted in improved 2-year progression-free survival compared to observation alone (92% vs. 30%).[4] Therefore, patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma should be strongly considered for chemotherapy with lenalidomide and dexamethasone. Other therapies that have been used in clinical trials for smoldering multiple myeloma include the combination fo melphalan and prednisone, bisphosphonates such as zoledronate or pamidronate, thalidomide, curcumin, and anakinra (IL-1 antagonist).[4] High-risk features that may warrant the use of chemotherapy in smoldering multiple myeloma include[4]:
The decision about whether to given chemotherapy for high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma must weigh the risks and benefits, including consideration of the underlying comorbidities of patients, the adverse effects of chemotherapy, and the likelihood of progression to active multiple myeloma. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating various agents including celecoxib, lenalidomide, anti-killer immunoglobulin receptor (KIR) monoclonal antibody, elotuzumab (anti-SLAMF7 monoclonal antibody), and siltuximab (anti-IL-6 monoclonal antibody). These agents are currently not FDA-approved for the treatment of smoldering multiple myeloma but may soon become a standard of care.
The optimal therapy for active multiple myeloma depends on whether or not a patient is eligible for bone marrow transplantation.[2][3] The decision about whether a patient is a candidate for bone marrow transplantation depends on a number of risk factors that include:[2][3]
In the past, a commonly used regimen was VAD (vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone), which has shown efficacy ranging from 60 to 80%, in previously treated and untreated patients. This regimen is beneficial in the manner that it avoids early exposure to alkylating agents thus reducing the risks of myelosuppression and further leukemias, without compromising on efficacy.[5][6][7] However, in the current era, proteosome inhibitors are included in the induction chemotherapy regimen. For patients who are candidates for autologous stem cell transplant, the optimal chemotherapy regimen includes the combination of bortezomib (proteasome inhibitor), lenalidomide, and dexamethasone. This regimen is typically given for 8 months and has an overall tolerable adverse effect profile.[8][9] Lenalidomide is orally administered and increases the risk for deep vein thrombosis, while bortezomib is associated with peripheral neuropathy.[10][11]
First line therapy options include:[12]
Therapy | Mechanism of Action | Dosing | Adverse Effects |
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Bortezomib |
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Peripheral neuropathy, VZV reactivation, hepatic impairment, asthenia, diarrhea, nausea, constipation, arthralgia, edema, dizziness |
Lenalidomide |
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Anemia, thrombocytopenia, thrombosis, rash, peripheral edema |
Dexamethasone |
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Infections, immunosuppression, bone loss, cataract formation, glaucoma, muscular atrophy |
Melphalan |
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Myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting, pulmonary fibrosis, stomatitis |
Cyclophosphamide |
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Myelosuppression, nausea, vomiting, hemorrhagic cystitis, secondary malignancies |
In the past five years, many agents have been FDA-approved for treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.[13]
Therapy | Mechanism of Action | Dosing | Adverse Effects |
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Ixazomib |
Borinic acid derivative that inhibits the proteasome, preventing recycling of proteins |
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Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, peripheral neuropathy, thrombocytopenia, rash |
Carfilzomib |
Epoxyketone tetrapeptide that irreversibly inhibits the proteasome, preventing recycling of proteins |
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Anemia, fatigue, thrombocytopenia, nausea, renal failure, congestive heart failure, thrombotic microangiopathy, pulmonary complications |
Panobinostat |
Pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor; aggresome pathway inhibitor |
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Thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, anemia, fatigue, diarrhe, nausea, hyperbilirubinemia |
Daratumumab |
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Infusion reaction, lymphopenia, neutropenia, fatigue, anemia, back pain, false positive indirect Coombs' test |
Elotuzumab |
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Fatigue, fever, diarrhea, anemia |
Pomalidoamide |
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Fatigue, asthenia, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, thromboembolism, second primary malignancy, teratogenicity |
Treatment for patients with multiple myeloma who are transplant-eligible | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High risk | Intermediate risk | Standard risk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 cycles of either bortezomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone or cyclophosphamide-bortezomib-dexamethasone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Autologous stem cell transplant (especially if patient is not in complete remission) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bortezomib-based therapy for > 1 year | Consider lenalidomide maintenance | Continue lenalidomide-dexamethasone | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Treatment for patients with multiple myeloma who are transplant-ineligible | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
High risk | Intermediate risk | Standard risk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bortezomib maintenance | Observation | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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