Evaluating Adherence to Immunomodulatory Drugs in Multiple Myeloma
Posted: Tuesday, May 28, 2019
In reportedly the first prospective study evaluating immunomodulatory drug adherence among patients with multiple myeloma, researchers found a high adherence to treatment, regardless of the drug, according to findings presented in PLOS One. Mathieu Boulin, PhD, of the Dijon University Hospital and EPICAD LNC-UMR1231 at the University of Burgundy & Franche Comté, and colleagues compared two indirect methods of measuring adherence to these agents in this patient population: a specific questionnaire and the medication possession ratio (MPR).
“The specific questionnaire should be used with caution to evaluate [immunomodulatory drug] adherence,” the authors concluded. “In the context of limited resources, easy-to-use questionnaires may be useful for the rapid identification of nonadherent patients.”
The prospective study included 63 patients with multiple myeloma who received at least 2 dispensations of thalidomide, lenalidomide, or pomalidomide. Researchers measured adherence using the specific questionnaire and the MPR. The cancer-specific questionnaire, which included 10 yes/no questions, had been validated in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Nonadherence was defied as a score below 8 points.
The mean questionnaire score was 8.2 ± 1.2, whereas the mean MPR value was 0.97 ± 0.06. Of the patients, 76% were considered adherent according to the questionnaire; 94%, according to the MPR; and 70%, according to both the questionnaire and the MPR. Researchers did not observe any statistically significant linear association between the questionnaire score and any variable of interest, including the MPR. All Cronbach’s alpha measures were relatively low (range, 0.0342–0.2443), meaning a low correlation of the different questions with the questionnaire score, noted the authors.
“These findings are encouraging in view of the efficacy, toxicity, and elevated cost of [immunomodulatory drugs],” Dr. Boulin and colleagues concluded.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
