Salvage Autologous HSCT for Relapsed Myeloma: From the Polish Myeloma Study Group
Posted: Monday, October 4, 2021
Salvage autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) remains an important therapeutic option for certain patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. However, sometimes stem cells need to be remobilized if the number of cells initially harvested and stored is insufficient. A multicenter report published by the Polish Myeloma Study Group suggested that salvage auto-HSCT utilizing remobilized cells procured from previous transplantation may be an effective treatment for these patients. The study, published in Leukemia & Lymphoma, concluded that the efficacy of this strategy appeared to be especially pronounced among patients who achieved a sufficiently long response to the first auto-HSCT.
“[This study] provides valuable information on the efficacy and safety of patients transplanted with hematopoietic cells harvested after previous high-dose therapy and as such contributes to the very limited knowledge on the issue,” Jadwiga Dwilewicz-Trojaczek, MD, PhD, of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, and colleagues concluded.
The research team retrospectively analyzed 33 patients with multiple myeloma who received an auto-HSCT and, following relapse, underwent mobilization and additional transplantation using cells procured during remobilization. Patient outcomes were analyzed from 2010 to 2017.
After a median follow-up of 1.8 years, the 2-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were 56.2% and 78.2%, respectively. The non-relapse mortality rate was 4.8%. Important patient factors that affected response and outcomes included the quality of response, previous radiotherapy, and the time between first and salvage auto-HSCTs, with patients having a longer duration of response to the first transplantation experiencing a superior outcome. The researchers did not identify factors that may be predictive of non-relapse mortality.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
