Myeloma in the Real World: What ’s really happening?

Publication date: Available online 26 December 2016 Source:Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia Author(s): Krystal Bergin, Zoe McQuilten, Elizabeth Moore, Erica Wood, Andrew Spencer Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common haematological malignancy and predominantly a disease of the elderly. In the last two decades a range of new therapeutic options have become available leading to improvements in patient outcomes including both attainment of remission and overall survival. These improved outcomes have heralded a paradigm shift from a palliative approach towards more active management including use of sequential therapies, with the goal to prolong progression-free and overall survival, while preserving organ function to enable delivery of further therapy at relapse. Until now the majority of outcome data for MM has come from clinical trials with few reports available on patients treated outside of the clinical trial setting - in the ‘real world’. Clinical trials are routinely undertaken in specialist centres and extrapolation of these trial data to broader clinical practice may not accurately reflect ‘real world’ patient outcomes. Optimal management of MM is of key importance for patient outcome, and further scrutiny of the efficacy and safety of the various reported therapies and how clinical trial findings are being translated or applied in ‘real world’ management of MM is required. In this review, we describe the minimal published evidence avail...
Source: Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma and Leukemia - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research