Detection of lenalidomide metabolites in urine to discover drug-resistant compounds.

Lenalidomide is the first-line drug for the clinical treatment of multiple myeloma. However, its efficacy differs significantly among patients. Clinically, after lenalidomide treatment, few patients' conditions worsened, whereas others remained stable or improved. To clarify the reasons for this difference in efficacy, 20 patients with multiple myeloma who received maintenance treatment with lenalidomide were retrospectively included in this study. Lenalidomide metabolic compounds were detected in patient urine using mass spectrometry. A rapid and accurate ultra-performance liquid chromatography-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-TOF-MS/MS) method was used to characterize metabolites in the urine of different patients. Eleven metabolites, including four new compounds, were identified and characterized in all the samples. Among these, two metabolites were found to have obvious discrepancies in different groups of patients. One metabolite named Denitrified-2 glutarimide, a new potential compound, was only detected in the urine of ineffective and stable patients, whereas the other metabolite named 5-Hydroxy-lenalidomide was found only in the urine of effective patients.

Investigation of the Diagnostic Value of sFLC and Other Indicators in the Detection of M Protein in LCMM.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to explore the diagnostic value of serum free light chain (sFLC) and other laboratory indicators for the patients with light chain multiple myeloma (LCMM). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study including 82 LCMM cases and 43 healthy subjects as the observation and control groups, respectively. The observation group was further divided into two subgroups: κ- and λ-type LCMM. Sixteen quantitative indicators were collected and the difference among groups was compared. We also evaluated the positive detection rate (PDR) of four qualitative indicators for M protein detection. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of sixteen indicators. RESULTS: Fourteen indicators showed statistical differences between the control group and κ- or λ-type LCMM subgroup. The κ and λ sFLC ratio (rFLC) and the difference between κ and λ FLC (dFLC) showed differences among the three groups. Among the four qualitative indicators of M protein detection, rFLC showed the highest PDR for both κ- and λ-type LCMM. Among the three combinations with rFLC or uIFE did not show statistical differences. ROC curve analysis indicated a relatively high diagnostic value of dFLC for both κ- and λ-type LCMM. CONCLUSIONS: We should be vigilant about the missed diagnosis by observing the changes of MM-related indicators, particularly dFLC and the six other indicators with high diagnostic value. rFLC can improve the diagnostic ability of LCMM.

Aponermin or placebo in combination with thalidomide and dexamethasone in the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (CPT-MM301): a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: Aponermin, a circularly permuted tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, is a potential death receptor 4/5-targeted antitumour candidate. Previous phase 1/2 studies have demonstrated the efficacy of aponermin in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). To confirm the superiority of aponermin plus thalidomide and dexamethasone (aponermin group) over placebo plus thalidomide and dexamethasone (placebo group) in RRMM, a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled phase 3 trial was performed. METHODS: Four hundred seventeen patients with RRMM who had previously received at least two regimens were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive aponermin, thalidomide, and dexamethasone or placebo, thalidomide, and dexamethasone. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Key secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and overall response rate (ORR). RESULTS: A total of 415 patients received at least one dose of trial treatment (276 vs. 139). The median PFS was 5.5 months in the aponermin group and 3.1 months in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.49-0.78; P < 0.001). The median OS was 22.4 months for the aponermin group and 16.4 months for the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.55-0.89; P = 0.003). Significantly higher rates of ORR (30.4% vs. 13.7%, P < 0.001) and very good partial response or better (14.1% vs. 2.2%, P < 0.0001) were achieved in the aponermin group than in the placebo group. Treatment with aponermin caused hepatotoxicity in some patients, as indicated by the elevated alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, or lactate dehydrogenase levels (52.2% vs. 24.5%, 51.1% vs. 19.4% and 44.9% vs. 21.6%, respectively), mostly grade 1/2, transient and reversible. The main grade 3/4 adverse events included neutropenia, pneumonia and hyperglycemia. The incidence of serious adverse events was similar between the two groups (40.6% vs. 37.4%). There was no evidence that aponermin leads to hematological toxicity, nephrotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, or secondary tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Aponermin plus thalidomide and dexamethasone significantly improved PFS, OS and ORR with manageable side effects in RRMM patients who had received at least two prior therapies. These results support the use of aponermin, thalidomide, and dexamethasone as a treatment option for RRMM patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered at http://www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR-IPR-15006024, 17/11/2014.

Clinical features and prognosis of multiple myeloma and orbital extramedullary disease: Seven cases report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) complicated with extramedullary disease (EMD) has a poor prognosis and is a limiting factor in the treatment of MM, and no standard treatment is recommended in international guidelines. Few studies have reported MM with periorbital EMD. CASE SUMMARY: In this paper, the clinical characteristics and survival of seven patients with multiple myeloma and orbital are described and analyzed. The common ocular symptoms were blurred vision, proptosis and/or eye movement disorders, IgG type MM may be a risk factor for orbital involvement. Of them, six patients were treated with bortezomib-based regimens. The median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival for the entire cohort were 48 and 33 mo, respectively, which was much worse than the OS reported for MM patients without orbital EMD. CONCLUSION: Orbital MM may have significantly shortened survival for the entire cohort, so multidisciplinary collaboration is emphasized and recommended in the diagnosis and treatment of these difficult cases.

Serum Abnormal Metabolites for Evaluating Therapeutic Response and Prognosis of Patients With Multiple Myeloma.

Aims: To evaluate abnormal metabolites related to treatment response and prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) patients through ultra performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). Methods: Forty-six symptomatic MM patients were included in this study who had a prior high level of positive monoclonal proteins before receiving targeted therapy with bortezomib-based regimens. UPLC-MS along with traditional immunofixation was performed on MM diagnostic samples and effective serum samples, and UPLC-MS was used to target valuable metabolic markers related to M protein.MM patients were segregated into pre-therapy (pre-T) and post-therapy (post-T) groups according to the response after chemotherapy. A monoclonal protein could be detected at baseline in 33 newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), 13 refractory and relapsed MM (RRMM) patients and 20 healthy controls (HC) by immunofixation. Results: Between pre-T and post-T patients, the data showed that 32, 28 and 3 different metabolites were significantly correlated with M protein in IgG, IgA and light chain-type MM, respectively. These identified metabolites were significantly enriched in arginine and proline metabolism as well as glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways. Among them, PC (19:0/22:2) was displayed to increase significantly and consistently with M protein in each subtype of MM after treatment, which obviously indicated that it was related to the treatment response of MM. Further survival analysis of metabolic markers found that aspartic acid, LysoPE (16:0), SM (d18:1/17:0), PC (18:0/24:1), PC (16:0/16:0), TG (18:1/18:1/22:5) and LysoPE (18:2) reaching a certain cutoff value may be associated with shorter progression free survival (PFS). Finally, Cox multivariate regression analysis identified three factors were independent prognostic factors of MM. Moreover, there were significantly different in PC (19:0/22:2) and in aspartic acid between MM patients and healthy people. Conclusion: This work identified significant metabolic disorders in 46 pairs off pre- and post-therapy MM patients, specifically in arginine, proline and glycerophospholipid pathways. The abnormal metabolites have the potential to serve as new biomarkers for evaluating treatment response and prognosis, as well as early monitoring of disease activity. Therefore, these systematic studies on abnormal metabolites as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment will provide the evidence for future precise treatment of MM.

Ixazomib-based maintenance therapy after bortezomib-based induction in patients with multiple myeloma not undergoing transplantation: A real-world study.

BACKGROUND: Maintenance therapy with proteasome inhibitors (PIs) can improve outcomes of multiple myeloma (MM) patients, however, the neurotoxicity and parenteral route of bortezomib limit its long-term use. An efficacious, tolerable, and convenient PI option is needed. METHODS: In this single-center, real-world study, we retrospectively analyzed the outcome and safety profile of ixazomib-based maintenance therapy in patients who plateaued with the responses of steady disease or better after bortezomib-based induction therapy in MM patients not undergoing transplantation. RESULTS: Of all the 71 patients, 37 cases (52.1%) were newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) and 34 cases (47.9%) were relapsed and/or refractory MM (RRMM). The overall response rate (ORR) was 81.7%, including 34 patients (47.9%) with a very good response rate or better (≥VGPR) after a median of nine cycles (6-14) of bortezomib-based induction therapy. Then the ORR was transformed to 74.6% including 39 patients of ≥VGPR (54.9%) after a median of six courses (2-25) of ixazomib-based maintenance therapy. Of these, 18 patients (25.4%) exhibited responses deepened. With 26.5 months median follow-up, median progression-free survival (PFS) was 28.4 and 16.5 months from the start of bortezomib and 16.2 and 10.0 months from the initiation of ixazomib in NDMM and RRMM group, respectively. Moreover, responses deepened during the maintenance phase (hazard ratio: 0.270, p = 0.007), and responses of ≥VGPR during the induction phase (hazard ratio: 0.218, p < 0.001) were confirmed to independently predict longer PFS after multivariate analyses. Severe adverse events (grade 3/4) were relatively rare. Bortezomib-emergent peripheral neuritis (PN) was significantly relived after the transition to ixazomib (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This real-world analysis has demonstrated oral ixazomib is a favorable option of long-term administration for maintenance with efficacy and feasibility and confirmed the association between deepening responses with ixazomib and prolonged PFS.

Doxycycline Combined With Bortezomib-Cyclophosphamide-Dexamethasone Chemotherapy for Newly Diagnosed Cardiac Light-Chain Amyloidosis: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Doxycycline was demonstrated in a retrospective study to be associated with greater survival in patients with light chain amyloidosis. Therefore, we prospectively compared the efficacy of bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (CyBorD) and CyBorD combined with doxycycline for cardiac light chain amyloidosis. METHODS: This was a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial. Patients with Mayo 2004 stage II to III light chain amyloidosis were included. Patients were randomized to doxycycline 100 mg twice daily along with 9 cycles of CyBorD (doxycycline group) or to 9 cycles of CyBorD alone (control group). The primary outcome was 2-year progression-free survival (PFS). PFS was defined as the time from randomization to death, hematologic progression, or organ progression (heart, kidney or liver). Hematologic progression was defined on the basis of a substantial increase in free light chain. An increase in either NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide) or cardiac troponin was the main criterion for defining cardiac progression. Cardiac PFS, defined as the time from randomization to cardiac progression or death, was compared between groups in an exploratory analysis. The corresponding treatment hazard ratio was estimated with a Cox regression model. RESULTS: One hundred forty patients underwent randomization, with 70 in each group. The median age was 61 years (range, 33-78 years) with a male:female ratio of 1.75:1. Stage II disease was present in 34 (48.6%) and 33 (47.1%) patients in the doxycycline and control groups, respectively. After a median follow-up duration of 24.4 months, 32 of 70 (45.7%) patients in the doxycycline group and 30 of 70 (42.9%) patients in the control group experienced progression. PFS was not significantly different between groups (hazard ratio, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.59-1.60]; P=0.91). Cardiac progression occurred in 29 of 70 (41.4%) patients in the doxycycline group and 26 of 70 (37.1%) patients in the control group. The death rates for both groups by the end of follow-up was the same, 25 of 70 (35.7%). No significant differences were observed for either cardiac PFS (hazard ratio, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.54-1.55]; P=0.74) or overall survival (hazard ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.60-1.81]; P=0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Our trial demonstrated that doxycycline combined with CyBorD failed to prolong PFS or cardiac PFS compared with CyBorD alone in cardiac light chain amyloidosis. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT03401372.

At least two high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities indicate the inferior outcomes for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients: a real-world study in China.

We retrospectively studied the impact of cytogenetic abnormalities in 328 consecutive newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. High-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCAs) included del (17p), amp/gain (1q21), t(4;14), and t(14;16). We defined a standard-risk group by the absence of HRCA, an intermediate-risk group with one HRCA, and a high-risk (HiR) group with at least two HRCAs. The HiR group constituted 14.3% of patients and was associated with a median overall survival (OS) of 28.6 months and progression-free survival (PFS) of 14.0 months. Moreover, the HiR group predicted poor outcomes for OS and PFS in multivariate analyses, and bortezomib prolongation to nine cycles could not bring additional benefit to this entity, suggesting the necessity of more effective therapies for these patients. Furthermore, we confirmed the independent prognostic impact of amp 1q21 in this real-world study.

[Clinical Analysis of 25 Non-Transplanted Multiple Myeloma Patients Treated with Bortezomib Maintenance].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy, survival and adverse effects of non-transplanted multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated with bortezomib maintenance. METHODS: A total of 25 newly diagnosed/relapsed non-transplanted MM patients treated in West District of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from June 2004 to November 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. All patients received PD regimen (bortezomib and dexamethasone), including bortezomib at a dose of 1.3 mg/m2 and dexamethasone 20 mg on days 1, 8, 15, 22 in a 3-month cycle. RESULTS: Till November 1, 2017, 5 patients achieved stringent complete response (sCR), 8 patients achieved complete response (CR), 7 patients achieved very good partial response (VGPR), 4 patients achieved partial reponse (PR), while 1 patient achieved stable disease (SD). After maintenance therapy, 21 patients maintained the efficacy above PR, of which 1 patient was improved from CR to sCR; 4 patients adjusted chemotherapy after disease progressed. Median maintenance therapy was 9 cycles (range from 6 to 31), and the median maintenance time was 27 months (range from 18 to 97). Median follow-up time was 73 months (range from 25 to 171). Median progress-free survival (PFS) time was 30 months (range from 9 to 105) and overall survival (OS) time was 57 months (range from 27 to 160). Till November 1, 2019, 3-year survival rate was 84% (21/25), and 5-year survival rate was 72% (13/18). The most common adverse events were transient leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and peripheral neuropathy, which the patients could tolerate after the prevention and treatment. CONCLUSION: Bortezomib-based maintenance therapy for non-transplanted MM patients can be an option in consideration of its safety and efficacy.

Clinical Analysis of Cardiac Involvement in 53 Patients With Multiple Myeloma Coexistent With Light Chain Amyloidosis.

BACKGROUND: We identified 53 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who had biopsy evidence of light chain amyloidosis (AL), and studied their cardiac involvement and outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our cohort consisted of 53 patients in whom MM and AL were initially diagnosed from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2016.The diagnosis of MM required > 10% of clonal plasma cells in bone marrow and 1 of the CRAB symptoms, meanwhile, the diagnosis of AL must meet pathologic diagnostic criteria and monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain. Echocardiograms and cardiac biomarker such as N terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide was used for evaluation of cardiac damage on the baseline and before every cycle of the regimen. RESULTS: There were 36 men and 17 women with a median age of 59 years; their main organ involvement was kidney (72%) and heart (62%). Of these, 22 patients were treated with a bortezomib-based regimen, and the response rate was more effective than the other 21 patients who received non-bortezomib-based regimens (64% vs. 29%). The median overall survival (OS) for the total cohort was 12 months (P < .05). The median OS of the MM cohort with International Staging System stage I and II together was 34 months, which was longer than that of patients with stage III of 8 months. The median OS in Mayo stages I, II, and III was 38, 8, and 1 months, respectively (P < .05). Cardiac involvement significantly adversely affected survival (6 vs. 40 months), as did systolic blood pressure (< 90 mmHg, 3 vs. 8.5 months). CONCLUSIONS: Patients coexistent with MM and AL is rare; AL has a negative impact on survival for the total cohort. Especially, cardiovascular dysfunction caused by AL maybe a major determinant of shortening survival.

Aurora kinase and FGFR3 inhibition results in significant apoptosis in molecular subgroups of multiple myeloma.

Aberrant expression of proteins involved in cell division is a constant feature in multiple myeloma (MM), especially in high-risk disease. Increasingly, therapy of myeloma is moving towards individualization based on underlying genetic abnormalities. Aurora kinases are important mediators of cell cycle and are up regulated in MM. Functional loss of Aurora kinases results in genetic instability and dysregulated division leading to cellular aneuploidy and growth arrest. We investigated the role of Aurora kinase inhibition in MM, using a small molecule inhibitor A1014907. Low nanomolar A1014907 concentrations induced aneuploidy in MM cell lines independent of underlying cytogenetic abnormalities by inhibiting Aurora Kinases. However, A1014907 induced more pronounced and dose dependent apoptosis in cell lines with t(4;14) translocation. Translocation t(4;14) is observed in about 15% of patients with MM leading to constitutive activation of FGFR3 in two-thirds of these patients. Further investigation of the mechanism of action of A1014907 revealed potent FGFR3 pathway inhibition only in the sensitive cell lines. Thus, our results show that aurora kinase inhibition causes cell cycle arrest and aneuploidy with minimal apoptosis whereas inhibiting both aurora kinase and FGFR3 activity induced potent apoptosis in MM cells. These results support clinical evaluation of A1014907 in MM patients with t(4;14) translocation and/or FGFR3 expression.

Analysis of the Metabolic Characteristics of Serum Samples in Patients With Multiple Myeloma.

Aims: This study aimed to identify potential, non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring of the progress in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Methods: MM patients and age-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited in Discovery phase and Validation phase, respectively. MM patients were segregated into active group (AG) and responding group (RG). Serum samples were collected were conducted to non-targeted metabolomics analyses. Metabolites which were significantly changed (SCMs) among groups were identified in Discovery phase and was validated in Validation phase. The signaling pathways of these SCMs were enriched. The ability of SCMs to discriminate among groups in Validation phase was analyzed through receiver operating characteristic curve. The correlations between SCMs and clinical features, between SCMs and survival period of MM patients were analyzed. Results: Total of 23 SCMs were identified in AG compared with HC both in Discovery phase and Validation phase. Those SCMs were significantly enriched in arginine and proline metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism. 4 SCMs had the discriminatory ability between MM patients and healthy controls in Validation phase. Moreover, 12 SCMs had the ability to discriminate between the AG patients and RG patients in Validation phase. 10 out of 12 SCMs correlated with advanced features of MM. Moreover, 8 out of 12 SCMs had the negative impact on the survival of MM. 5'-Methylthioadenosine may be the only independent prognostic factor in survival period of MM. Conclusion: 10 SCMs identified in our study, which correlated with advanced features of MM, could be potential, novel, non-invasive biomarkers for active disease in MM.

Very-Low-Dose Decitabine Is Effective in Treating Intermediate- or High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome.

Nowadays, the regular recommended dose of decitabine for the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is 20 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive days with a relatively high incidence of treatment-related morbidities and costs. In this study, a retrospective and multicenter analysis was performed to explore the very-low-dose decitabine schedule for the treatment of patients with IPSS intermediate- or high-risk MDS. A total of 31 newly diagnosed MDS cases from 14 hospitals in Beijing received decitabine monotherapy (decitabine 6 mg/m2/day intravenously for 7 consecutive days, repeated every 4 weeks). With a medium follow-up of 4 months, 10 patients achieved complete remission (32.3%), 8 (25.8%) partial remission, and 3 (9.7%) hematological improvement. The overall response rate (ORR) was 67.7%. Rates of 21.7% for severe infections and 11.6% for severe bleedings were observed among all courses. The median cost of each course was USD 5,300, 3,000, 2,900, and 2,000, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified bone marrow blast cells ≥10% and a Charlson comorbidity index ≥1 as 2 independent factors for efficacy. In conclusion, very-low-dose decitabine showed relatively good efficacy, good tolerance, and low medical cost in the treatment of intermediate- or high-risk MDS. Elderly patients with more than 1 complication or patients with a higher proportion of blast cells may be the most suitable candidates for this regimen.

Phase II open-label study of recombinant circularly permuted TRAIL as a single-agent treatment for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Despite the recent development of new therapies, multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable disease. Thus, new, effective treatments are urgently needed, particularly for relapsed or refractory MM (RRMM). In an earlier phase I study, a novel form of recombinant human Apo2L/tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, i.e., circularly permuted TRAIL (CPT), was well tolerated at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg per day and showed promising preliminary activity in patients with RRMM. This phase II, open-label, multicenter study further investigated the efficacy and safety of 2.5-mg/kg per day CPT as single-agent therapy for patients with RRMM. METHODS: Patients with RRMM were treated once daily with CPT (2.5 mg/kg, intravenously) for 14 consecutive days for each 21-day cycle. Clinical response and toxicity were assessed after each treatment cycle. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients received CPT. Using the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation criteria, we calculated the overall response rate of 33.3% with 1 near-complete response (nCR) and 8 partial responses (PRs). The clinical benefit rate (48.1%) included 1 nCR, 8 PRs, and 4 minimal responses. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were fever, aspartate aminotransferase elevation, alanine aminotransferase elevation, leucopenia, rash, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. We graded toxicity using the Common Toxicity Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0, and determined that 37.0% of patients had at least 1 grade 3-4 TRAE. CONCLUSIONS: CPT as a single agent can elicit a response in patients with RRMM and is well tolerated. Further clinical investigation is warranted. Trial Registration ChiCTR-ONC-12002065 http://www.chictr.org/cn.

Misdiagnosis of Bone Metastasis Cancer After Using Adefovir Dipivoxi in a Hepatitis B Patient with Fanconi Syndrome.

Adefovir dipivoxil is commonly used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients. We present a case of acquired Fanconi syndrome and hypophosphatemic osteomalacia in a patient with chronic hepatitis B who had been treated with ADV for 8 years. A 41-year-old man complained of severe bilateral hypochondrium pain and lower limb weakness, and he had the diagnosis of bone metastasis cancer or multiple myeloma. Laboratory results and radiologic findings suggested Fanconi syndrome with osteomalacia after hospitalized. For it is difficult to accurately diagnose in clinic and prone to misdiagnose, more attention should be paid to the kidney damage in the patients treated with long-term ADV.

Immunoglobulin D Multiple Myeloma: Disease Profile, Therapeutic Response, and Survival.

OBJECTIVES: The long-term clinical characteristics, response to therapy, and survival in patients with immunoglobulin D (IgD) multiple myeloma (MM) were investigated. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted that included 68 patients treated in the last 10 years, 37 of whom received bortezomib only (bortezomib group), 13 of whom received bortezomib and underwent autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (bortezomib + ASCT group), and 18 of whom received conditional chemotherapy (non-bortezomib group). RESULTS: The ratio of males to females was 44:24, and the median age was 56.5 years. The overall response rate of each group was 91.9, 77.8, and 100%, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 24 and 15.5 months, respectively, among the 68 patients. The median OS of each group was 23, 21.5, and 27 months, respectively. The median PFS of each group was 18, 12, and 24 months, respectively. The 3- and 5-year OS were 64 and 45%, respectively, and the 3- and 5-year PFS were 39 and 13%, respectively, among the 68 patients. Cox regression showed that the percentage of bone marrow plasmacytosis was significantly associated with OS (p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: The survival of IgD patients is shorter than that of other MM patients. Treatment strategies with bortezomib followed by stem cell transplantation may boost the response rate and improve survival.

[Clinical Analysis of Multiple Myeloma Patients Aged over 80 Years].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical features, treatment response and prognosis of multiple myeloma patients aged over 80 years. METHODS: The clinical data of 23 cases of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma aged over 80 years from February 2007 to July 2014 in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. The median age was 82, and all the patients had at least 2 complicated diseases. Only 1 patient gave up the chemotherapy because of the poor performance status, the other 22 cases received individualized treatments. Out of 23 patients, 10 received velcade containing regimen (velcade group) chemotherapy, 10 patients received melphalan containing regimen (conventional chemotherapy group) and 2 patients received lenalidomide. RESULTS: 1 patient achieved complete remission, 1 patient achieved very good partial remission, 15 patients achieved partial remission, 1 patient achieved minor remission and 4 patients had progressed. Their median survival time was 19.5 months. Their survival rate of one-year, two-years, three-years were 73.9%, 39.1%, 26.1%, respectively. The median OS time and PFS time were 21.5 (9-46) vs 13 (3-23) months (P = 0.405) and 16 (5-38) vs 10 (3-19) months in the velcade group and conventional chemotherapy group, respectively. 9 cases had been alive until December 2015, while 14 cases had died. CONCLUSION: Multiple meloma patients aged over 80 years diagnosed at advanced stage often accompanied with previous underlined diseases. Treatment should be individualized based on the evaluation of patient status. The OS and PFS time of patients could be prolonged using the velcade containing chemotherapy.

Cytogenetic abnormality in patients with multiple myeloma analyzed by fluorescent in situ hybridization.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) data and the association with clinical characteristics, therapy response, and survival time in patients with multiple myeloma. METHOD: We performed a retrospective review of patients with multiple myeloma from November 2010 to April 2014. RESULTS: Cytogenetic abnormalities by FISH were detectable in 66% of patients. One cytogenetic abnormality, two cytogenetic abnormalities, and complex abnormalities were detectable in 21.2%, 51.5%, and 27.3% of cases, respectively. 1q21 amplification, t(4p16.3/14q32), and 17p deletion were observed in 69.7%, 30.3%, and 21.2% of cases, respectively. Total response rates (complete response [CR] + near CR + partial response) were 93.8% and 82.1%, respectively, in cytogenetic normality group and abnormality group. CR rates were 50% and 32.1%, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) time was 51 months and 24 months, respectively, in cytogenetic normality group and abnormality group (P<0.05). Median OS time was not significantly different between 1q21 amplification group and no 1q21 amplification group in patients with FISH abnormalities (P>0.05). Median OS time was not significantly different between t(4;14) group and no t(4;14) group in patients with FISH abnormalities (P>0.05). Seven patients of 17p deletion died in 2 years. CONCLUSION: Multiple myeloma is characterized by a high occurrence of chromosomal aberrations. 1q21 amplification and t(4;14) are the most common abnormalities. Multiple cytogenetic abnormalities are frequently observed in the same one patient. The total response rate, CR rate, and OS time are worse in cytogenetic abnormal patients compared with cytogenetic normal patients. Patients with 17p deletion have a very poor prognosis. Future goals of therapy will be to achieve minimal residual disease, biomarkers, and genomic data, which might provide a better estimate of the depth of response to therapy and OS.

Clinical analysis of 40 multiple myeloma patients with extramedullary plasmacytoma of the head.

Objectives To investigate the clinical characteristics, survival and prognosis of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and head extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP). Methods Forty MM patients were enrolled in the study (18 men, 22 women; median age, 55 years). Results Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 24 (5-78) months and 17 (2-36) months, respectively. The 2-, 3- and 5-year OS rates were 51%, 20% and 7%, respectively. The 2-year PFS was 15%. Median OS and PFS in patients administered velcade were 26 (18-50) and 22.5 (5-78) months, compared with 20 (10-30) and 13.5 (2-36) months in patients without velcade, respectively. Median OS was 23.5 (5-50) months in patients with EMP at MM diagnosis ( n = 25) and 36 (22-78) months in patients with head EMP diagnosed during the disease course ( n = 15). Sixteen MM patients had EMP invasion of the head only and 24 had invasion at multiple sites. Median OS was 25 (22-78) months in patients with EMP of the head only and 22 (5-78) months in patients with EMP invasion at multiple sites. Conclusion MM patients with head EMP show a more aggressive disease course and shorter OS and PFS. The prognosis of these patients is poor, especially in patients with head EMP at MM diagnosis, though combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy may prolong survival.

Analysis of clinical features, treatment response, and prognosis among 61 elderly newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients: a single-center report.

BACKGROUND: We identified the clinical features of 61 cases of multiple myeloma (MM) patients over 65 years and analyzed the treatment and prognosis of the era of new drugs in elderly patients. METHODS: We identified 61 newly diagnosed symptomatic multiple myeloma (NDMM) among elderly Chinese patients more than 65 years old diagnosed from 2006 to 2012. RESULTS: Of the 205 consecutive MM patients whom we reviewed, 61 (29.76%) cases were NDMM patients aged more than 65 years and the others were younger than 65 years old. Among them, 40 (65.6%) cases were in end-stage (ISS stage III); meanwhile, 19 (31.2%) cases of them had MM with extramedullary plasmacytoma (EMP), observed in 42.1% patients at diagnosis, and the top three incidence of position were spinal canal, pleural, and soft tissue. In the whole column, the median follow-up was 38 months and median age was 72.5 years. Patients received bortezomib- or thalidomide-containing regimens as initial therapy. Comparing the two treatment groups, the complete remission (CR)/near-complete remission (nCR) rate was significantly higher in the bortezomib-containing regimens (61.5 vs.18.18%, P=0.001), no difference in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Patients of age over 75 years had shorter OS than those of age over 65 years (49 vs. 24 months, P=0.001). The patients with EMP had shorter OS than those without EMP in two age groups (32 vs. 42 and 15 vs. 24 months, P=0.017 and 0.024, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight that patients over 75 years and MM with EMP have a poorer outcome. While the CR rate is higher in bortezomib-containing regimens, no significant improvement is noted in respect to the survival outcomes; also, it cannot overcome the negative influence on survival of age and MM with EMP in elderly patients.