Patterns and effectiveness of bortezomib use according to age in the VESUVE cohort

Therapeutical options for older multiple myeloma patients have been improved with the advent of new drugs, yet there is a lack of observational data for such patients. To address this issue, an age-stratified analysis of the VESUVE cohort of bortezomib users was performed. Among the 779 patients included in the analysis, 358 (46%) were aged ≤ 65 years, 282 (36%) were between 65-75 years and 139 (18%) were more than 75 years old. There were few significant differences in treatment parameters across age groups; notably, older patients received a lower dose of bortezomib and more frequently experienced general or administration site conditions, metabolism or nutrition disorders and cardiac disorders. Overall best response rate and progression-free survival were similar across age groups. Taken together, these results indicate that older patients do benefit from bortezomib and that tailored treatment in real-life clinical practice does not compromise effectiveness.