Myeloma during a decade: clinical experience in a single centre

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Multiple myeloma is a progressive plasma cell malignancy.
• Treatment efficacy varies, necessitating evaluation of therapeutic strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of high-dose therapy on multiple myeloma patient outcomes.
• To identify predictors of survival in multiple myeloma.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 156 multiple myeloma patients over 12 years.
• Comparison of conventional therapy versus high-dose therapy.
• Univariate and multivariate survival analyses.

Main Results:

• High-dose therapy yielded higher response rates (77.7%) compared to conventional therapy (56.5%).
• Median survival was significantly longer with high-dose therapy (6 years) versus the overall group (20 months).
• Age and therapy intensity were independent predictors of survival.

Conclusions:

• High-dose therapy improves response and survival in multiple myeloma.
• Interferon maintenance therapy shows promise, particularly for complete responders.
• Strategies to improve tolerance of therapy in the elderly are warranted.