[On the threshold of a possible cure: innovations in treating multiple myeloma]

Significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma in recent years. The introduction of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after high-dose melphalan conditioning have allowed for a more profound therapeutic response and longer-term survival. Despite this progress, the literature still emphasizes the incurability of the disease, since the alternation of remissions and relapses continues to determine the course of disease. In multiple myeloma, it is essential to overcome drug resistance and ensure durable response to achieve a definitive cure, therefore new therapeutic strategies and a more sensitive diagnostic tool are needed. In addition to reviewing current treatment guidelines, this publication aims to provide a summary of new diagnostic procedures and therapeutic strategies in clinical trials that can improve patients’ quality of life and survival. Modern diagnostic methods enable early disease detection, personalized biologically-based treatments, and response-adapted therapy. Additionally, integrating immunotherapeutic strategies into earlier lines of treatment may challenge perceptions of the disease’s incurability in the future. Orv Hetil. 2024; 165(23): 891–899.