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PeopleBeatingCancer supports an evidence-based integrative approach to cancer care. For most newly diagnosed patients, FDA-approved therapies form the foundation of treatment, while evidence-based complementary therapies may help reduce side effects and improve survivorship.
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INeligible ASCT Myeloma Patients-Longer PFS but Lower QOL
adding… daratumumab to standard therapy significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who were ineligible for stem cell transplant
It is rare to find studies about newly diagnosed myeloma patients who are INeligible for an autologous stem cell transplant. Because the average age of a newly diagnosed myeloma patient is 70 and because 35%-40% of newly diagnosed MMers are over the age of 75, many MMers are ineligible for an autologous stem cell transplant.
As you would expect, adding a third chemotherapy to Rd (revlimid/dexamethasone) increases PFS, induces deeper responses and perhaps most significantly, greatly increases the MMers who achieved minimal residual disease (MRD).
What the study linked and excerpted below doesn’t say is if any patients undergoing the darzelex/revlimid/dex. triplet achieved longer overall survival (OS). Further, the increased efficacy of this combination chemotherapy comes at a price- greater adverse events aka side effects. At this point then, all ASCT ineligible patients can do is have a gut check- meaning consider that age-old choice between longer PFS and lower quality of life or shorter PFS and higher quality of life.
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, let me say this loud and clear:
It is critical that you become an active participant in your care. Learn everything you can.
I am alive today largely because I took the time to find out everything I could about Multiple Myeloma and sought out the full spectrum of evidence-based MM therapies both conventional (FDA approved) and non-conventional.
Please watch the video below to learn more about the evidence-based, integrative therapies to combat treatment side effects and enhance your chemotherapy.
Have you been diagnosed with multiple myeloma? Are you ineligible for having an autologous stem cell transplant? Scroll down the page, post a question or comment and I will reply to you ASAP.
Thank you,
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
- Chemo-Brain- Almost Half of Myeloma Patients
- CR or VGPR Makes NO Difference in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma
- Multiple Myeloma, Low-dose Maintenance Chemotherapy vs. Evidence-based, Non-Toxic Therapies
Daratumumab Plus Len/Dex: New Standard of Care in Myeloma?
In the MAIA study, adding the monoclonal antibody daratumumab to standard therapy significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) in patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma who were ineligible for stem cell transplant…
As compared to standard therapy with lenalidomide and dexamethasone (Rd), the addition of daratumumab to lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) significantly reduced the risk for diesease progression or death by 44%.
The estimated 30-month PFS was 71% with the triplet vs 56% with Rd.
He noted that daratumumab and lenalidomide induced significantly deeper responses; more than three times as many patients who received the combination were free of minimal residual disease (MRD)…
Other factors, including comorbidities and route of administration (intravenous vs subcutaneous), have to be taken into account when considering the benefits and downsides of the two regimens, he commented…
The safety profile was consistent with that seen in other studies, but the triplet regimen was associated with:
- a higher rate of neutropenia (57% for D-Rd vs 42% for Rd),
- diarrhea (57% vs 46%), fatigue (40% vs 28%), and
- pneumonia (23% vs 13%).”