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Shaji K. Kumar, MD
Prashant Kapoor, MD, FACP
Shaji K. Kumar, MD
Prashant Kapoor, MD, FACP
Posted: Wednesday, July 19, 2023
A group of researchers used the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) to evaluate potential global disparities in terms of adverse events associated with treatment of multiple myeloma. The team reported its findings at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (Abstract 8015).
“Our results indicate that certain adverse events are influenced by gender and geographical location. These disparities in [multiple myeloma adverse effects] may be the result of factors such as genetics, dosing/regimen, comorbidities, age, and sex,” said Majid Jaberi-Douraki, PhD, of Kansas State University–Olathe, and colleagues. “These variables must be investigated for improved patient care, strategies for adverse events reduction, mortality reduction, and optimal allocation of health-care resources,” they noted.
The researchers examined adverse events associated with FDA-approved multiple myeloma treatments. Patient data were then organized based on age, sex, and geographic location. The team evaluated the reporting odds ratio combined with a 95% confidence interval for the elevated interval for the heightened incidence of adverse events.
The research team studied data from 381,378 patients from 129 countries. They observed that cardiotoxicities and vascular toxicities were seen more often in patients from North America, nephrotoxicity was seen more often in patients from Africa, neoplasms were seen primarily in patients from Europe, and mortality was higher in patients from Europe and Asia. Lymphomas were observed more often in patients from Asia and Oceania, and leukemias were reported more often in patients from Europe.
The investigators stated that further studies should be conducted to confirm these findings. However, they added, the statistics gathered may offer clinical implications for the treatment of multiple myeloma going forward.
Disclosure: Dr. Jaberi-Douraki reported no conflicts of interest. For full disclosures of the other study authors, visit coi.asco.org.
