Expert Panel Consensus Statement for Proper Evaluation of First Relapse in Multiple Myeloma

AbstractPurpose of ReviewA working group of six expert physicians convened to assess the spectrum of multiple myeloma relapse presentations, discussed the features that can define the disease as aggressive and not aggressive, and established whether this information could help in selecting treatment together with the characteristics of disease and of patients and type of prior therapy.Recent FindingsThe working group agreed that relapse should be distinguished between biochemical and clinical according to IMWG. Moreover, the expert panel defined “aggressive disease” as a clinical condition that requires therapy able to induce a rapid and as deep as possible response to release symptoms and to avoid impending danger of new events. According to this definition, relapse was considered aggressive if it presents with at least one of the foll owing features: doubling of M protein rate over 2 months, renal insufficiency, hypercalcemia, extramedullary disease, elevated LDH, high plasma cell proliferative index, presence of plasma cells in peripheral blood, or skeletal-related complications. Moreover, the panel agreed that this classificat ion can be useful to choose therapy in first relapse together with other patient, disease, and prior therapy characteristics. So, this item was included in a new therapeutic algorithm.SummaryThe treatment choice in MM at relapse is wider than in the past with the availability of many new therapeutic regimens leading to increased diversity of ap...
Source: Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports - Category: Hematology Source Type: research