Socio-demographic determinants of myelofibrosis outcomes in an underserved center and the SEER national database.

The influence of demographic characteristics and social determinants on cancer outcomes is widely recognized in various malignancies but remains understudied in myelofibrosis (MF). This study aims to investigate social and demographic variables associated with MF survival. We retrospectively reviewed data of biopsy-proven MF patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2000-2021) and Montefiore Medical Center (2000-2023), an underserved inner-city hospital. The SEER cohort included 5,403 MF patients and was predominantly Non-Hispanic (NH) White (82%) with a median age of 69 years. The age-adjusted incidence rate of MF was 0.32 cases per 100,000 person-years, increasing annually by 1.3% from 2000 to 2021. Two- and five- year overall survival rates were 69% and 42%, respectively. Worse cause-specific survival was associated with older age, male sex, and diagnosis before 2011 (year of Ruxolitinib approval). NH-Black ethnicity, unmarried status and lower median income were independent predictors of worse overall survival. The single-center analysis included 84 cases, with a median age of 66 years. NH-White patients comprised 37% of the sample, followed by NH-Black (28.5%). Two- and five- year overall survival rates were 90% and 61%, respectively, with NH-Black patients exhibiting the lowest median survival, although the difference was not statistically significant. Age was a significant predictor of worse survival in this cohort. NH-Black and Hispanic patients lived in areas with higher socioeconomic and demographic stress compared to NH-White patients. Overall, this study highlights the association of social and demographic factors with MF survival and emphasizes the need for equitable healthcare and further exploration of social-demographic factors affecting MF survival.

Teclistamab in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma: multi-institutional real-world study.

The objective of our study was to report real-world data on the safety and efficacy of standard-of-care teclistamab in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM). This is a multi-institutional retrospective cohort study and included all consecutive patients that received at least one dose of teclistamab up until August 2023. One hundred and ten patients were included, of whom, 86% had triple-class refractory disease, 76% penta-refractory disease, and 35% had prior exposure to B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)-targeting therapies. The overall response rate (ORR) in our cohort was 62%, with a ≥ very good partial remission (VGPR) rate of 51%. The ORR in patients with and without prior BCMA-targeted therapies was 54% vs 67%, respectively (p = 0.23). At a median follow-up of 3.5 months (range, 0.39-10.92), the estimated 3 month and 6 month progression free survival (PFS) was 57% (95% CI, 48%, 68%) and 52% (95% CI, 42%, 64%) respectively. The incidence of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and immune effector cell associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) was 56% and 11% respectively, with grade ≥3 CRS and ICANS noted in 3.5% and 4.6% of patients respectively. 78 unique infections were diagnosed in 44 patients, with the incidence of all-grade and grade ≥3 infections being 40% vs 26% respectively. Primary prophylaxis with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) was associated with a significantly lower infection risk on multivariate analysis (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.33; 95% CI 0.17, 0.64; p = 0.001).

Altered neurological and neurobehavioral phenotypes in a mouse model of the recurrent KCNB1-p.R306C voltage-sensor variant.

Pathogenic variants in KCNB1 are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder spectrum that includes global developmental delays, cognitive impairment, abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns, and epilepsy with variable age of onset and severity. Additionally, there are prominent behavioral disturbances, including hyperactivity, aggression, and features of autism spectrum disorder. The most frequently identified recurrent variant is KCNB1-p.R306C, a missense variant located within the S4 voltage-sensing transmembrane domain. Individuals with the R306C variant exhibit mild to severe developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and a diverse spectrum of seizures. Previous in vitro characterization of R306C described altered sensitivity and cooperativity of the voltage sensor and impaired capacity for repetitive firing of neurons. Existing Kcnb1 mouse models include dominant negative missense variants, as well as knockout and frameshifts alleles. While all models recapitulate key features of KCNB1 encephalopathy, mice with dominant negative alleles were more severely affected. In contrast to existing loss-of-function and dominant-negative variants, KCNB1-p.R306C does not affect channel expression, but rather affects voltage-sensing. Thus, modeling R306C in mice provides a novel opportunity to explore impacts of a voltage-sensing mutation in Kcnb1. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we generated the Kcnb1R306C mouse model and characterized the molecular and phenotypic effects. Consistent with the in vitro studies, neurons from Kcnb1R306C mice showed altered excitability. Heterozygous and homozygous R306C mice exhibited hyperactivity, altered susceptibility to chemoconvulsant-induced seizures, and frequent, long runs of slow spike wave discharges on EEG, reminiscent of the slow spike and wave activity characteristic of Lennox Gastaut syndrome. This novel model of channel dysfunction in Kcnb1 provides an additional, valuable tool to study KCNB1 encephalopathies. Furthermore, this allelic series of Kcnb1 mouse models will provide a unique platform to evaluate targeted therapies.

Improving Unrelated Donor Equity: Assessing Mismatched Donor Opportunities with Real-World Data in a Minority-Predominant Cohort.

Recent advances in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis including post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) and abatacept have significantly improved outcomes following HLA-mismatched allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and have tremendous potential for reducing racial disparities in donor availability. A recent small study employing bone marrow as the source of stem cells showed similar outcomes after 5/8 versus 7/8 matches and is currently being tested in a larger study using peripheral blood stem cells. In this study, we examine real-world alternative donor HSCT options for a minority-predominant cohort in the Bronx, NY, focusing on the availability of lesser-matched (5/8 to 7/8) donors. Records of patients who underwent HLA typing at Montefiore Medical Center (2019 to 2022) were reviewed. The National Marrow Donor Program registry was queried to evaluate the availability of donors with at least 99% likelihood of HLA match at various levels (5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8). Two hundred forty-one patients were included, 70% were non-White. Although the availability of ≥7/8 donors was less common in non-White patients, 100% of patients from each group had at least one or more 5/8 and 6/8 HLA-matched donors and more than 80% of these patients had >100 potential 5/8 and 6/8 HLA-matched donors. There was no statistical difference by race or ethnicity in the mean number of donors at 5/8 and 6/8 HLA-match levels. We demonstrate through real-world data that patients from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds have access to 5/8 and 6/8 HLA-matched donors for allo-HSCT, potentially eliminating disparities in donor availability and allowing prioritization of other donor selection characteristics such as donor age, sex, ABO, and B leader matching. Further work is needed to study whether the use of mismatched donors offers a more potent graft-versus malignancy effect and optimal GVHD prophylaxis.

Impact of race and ethnicity on early mortality in multiple myeloma: a SEER analysis.

Over the past two decades, there have been significant advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma which has led to an improvement in overall survival (OS) (1,2). However, a notable proportion of patients continue to experience early mortality (EM), defined as two years from the time of diagnosis. This raises the possibility that improvements in myeloma survival have not extended equally to all groups. Using the latest data drawn from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database of patients in the United States spanning 2000-2019, we study impact of important sociodemographic factors on EM. Through regression modeling, we demonstrate that patients diagnosed from 2000-2005, of older age, male sex, and of certain racial minority status (non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic) have higher odds of EM. Of these factors, minority status contributed to worse 2-year overall survival as well. We evaluate whether income, as a surrogate to access to care, could potentially explain this finding, but find that race has a distinct relationship with EM that is not modified by income. This is further reinforced by subgroup analysis. After characterizing groups vulnerable to EM, we examine reasons for these disparities and potential avenues to address them.

Strain-dependent effects on neurobehavioral and seizure phenotypes in Scn2aK1422E mice.

Pathogenic variants in SCN2A are associated with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Despite being largely monogenic, SCN2A-related NDD show considerable phenotypic variation and complex genotype-phenotype correlations. Genetic modifiers can contribute to variability in disease phenotypes associated with rare driver mutations. Accordingly, different genetic backgrounds across inbred rodent strains have been shown to influence disease-related phenotypes, including those associated with SCN2A-related NDD. Recently, we developed a mouse model of the variant SCN2A-p.K1422E that was maintained as an isogenic line on the C57BL/6J (B6) strain. Our initial characterization of NDD phenotypes in heterozygous Scn2aK1422E mice revealed alterations in anxiety-related behavior and seizure susceptibility. To determine if background strain affects phenotype severity in the Scn2aK1422E mouse model, phenotypes of mice on B6 and [DBA/2J×B6]F1 hybrid (F1D2) strains were compared. Convergent evidence from neurobehavioral assays demonstrated lower anxiety-like behavior in Scn2aK1422E mice compared to wild-type and further suggested that this effect is more pronounced on the B6 background compared to the F1D2 background. Although there were no strain-dependent differences in occurrence of rare spontaneous seizures, response to the chemoconvulsant kainic acid revealed differences in seizure generalization and lethality risk, with variation based on strain and sex. Continued examination of strain-dependent effects in the Scn2aK1422E mouse model could reveal genetic backgrounds with unique susceptibility profiles that would be relevant for future studies on specific traits and enable the identification of highly penetrant phenotypes and modifier genes that could provide clues about the primary pathogenic mechanism of the K1422E variant.

A Metabolically Optimized, Noncytotoxic Low-Dose Weekly Decitabine/Venetoclax in MDS and AML.

PURPOSE: Venetoclax (VEN) added to the hypomethylating agents (HMA) decitabine or azacitidine is the new standard of care for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is being evaluated in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Current dosing of HMA/VEN relies on leukemia suppression through cytotoxicity which also impacts normal hematopoiesis. A regimen using once-weekly low-dose decitabine (LDDec) has demonstrated activity in myeloid malignancies. To overcome the severe myelosuppression often seen with HMA/VEN, we evaluated a once-weekly dosing regimen of VEN and LDDec in elderly and/or frail patients who were felt less likely to tolerate severe myelosuppression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, single-center analysis of patients with AML, MDS, or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia treated with a once-weekly LDDec/VEN regimen. We also compare this regimen with a cohort treated with standard dosing HMA/VEN. RESULTS: In a retrospective cohort of 39 patients, the overall response rate for patients receiving LDDec/VEN for first-line AML and MDS was 88% and 64%, respectively. In patients with TP53 mutations, the composite complete response rate was 71% and the median overall survival was 10.7 months. When compared with 36 patients receiving standard dose HMA/VEN, the LDDec/VEN patients had a longer time on therapy (175 vs. 78 days; P = 0.014) and a trend toward a higher rate of transfusion independence (47% vs. 26%; P = 0.33). Neutropenic fever occurred in 31% of patients, with a median of one hospitalization at any point during treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary clinical experience, although retrospective, provides proof-of-activity of noncytotoxic DNA methyltransferase 1-targeting by allowing frequent, sustained drug exposure often not possible with standard HMA/VEN regimens.

Evaluating the interplay between estrous cyclicity and induced seizure susceptibility in Scn2aK1422E mice.

Pathogenic variants in SCN2A are associated with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). SCN2A-related NDD show wide phenotypic heterogeneity, suggesting that modifying factors must be considered in order to properly elucidate the mechanisms of pathogenic variants. Recently, we characterized neurological phenotypes in a mouse model of the variant SCN2A-p.K1422E. We demonstrated that heterozygous Scn2aK1422E female mice showed a distinct, reproducible distribution of flurothyl-induced seizure thresholds. Women with epilepsy often show a cyclical pattern of altered seizure susceptibility during specific phases of the menstrual cycle which can be attributed to fluctuations in hormones and corresponding changes in neurosteroid levels. Rodent models have been used extensively to examine the relationship between the estrous (menstrual) cycle, steroid hormones, and seizure susceptibility. However, the effects of the estrous cycle on seizure susceptibility have not been evaluated in the context of an epilepsy-associated genetic variant. To determine whether the estrous cycle affects susceptibility to flurothyl-induced seizures in Scn2aK1422E female mice, estrous cycle monitoring was performed in mice that had undergone ovariectomy (OVX), sham surgery, or no treatment prior to seizure induction. Removing the influence of circulating sex hormones via OVX did not affect the non-unimodal distribution of flurothyl seizure thresholds observed in Scn2aK1422E females. Additionally, flurothyl seizure thresholds were not associated with estrous cycle stage in mice that underwent sham surgery or were untreated. These data suggest that variation in Scn2aK1422E flurothyl seizure threshold is not significantly influenced by the estrous cycle and, by extension, fluctuations in ovarian hormones. Interestingly, untreated Scn2aK1422E females showed evidence of disrupted estrous cyclicity, an effect not previously described in a genetic epilepsy model. This unexpected result highlights the importance of considering sex specific effects and the estrous cycle in support of more inclusive biomedical research.

Altered neurological and neurobehavioral phenotypes in a mouse model of the recurrent KCNB1-p.R306C voltage-sensor variant.

Pathogenic variants in KCNB1 are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder spectrum that includes global developmental delays, cognitive impairment, abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns, and epilepsy with variable age of onset and severity. Additionally, there are prominent behavioral disturbances, including hyperactivity, aggression, and features of autism spectrum disorder. The most frequently identified recurrent variant is KCNB1-p.R306C, a missense variant located within the S4 voltage-sensing transmembrane domain. Individuals with the R306C variant exhibit mild to severe developmental delays, behavioral disorders, and a diverse spectrum of seizures. Previous in vitro characterization of R306C described loss of voltage sensitivity and cooperativity of the sensor and inhibition of repetitive firing. Existing Kcnb1 mouse models include dominant negative missense variants, as well as knockout and frameshifts alleles. While all models recapitulate key features of KCNB1 encephalopathy, mice with dominant negative alleles were more severely affected. In contrast to existing loss-of-function and dominant-negative variants, KCNB1-p.R306C does not affect channel expression, but rather affects voltage-sensing. Thus, modeling R306C in mice provides a novel opportunity to explore impacts of a voltage-sensing mutation in Kcnb1. Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we generated the Kcnb1R306C mouse model and characterized the molecular and phenotypic effects. Heterozygous and homozygous R306C mice exhibited pronounced hyperactivity, altered susceptibility to flurothyl and kainic acid induced-seizures, and frequent, long runs of spike wave discharges on EEG. This novel model of channel dysfunction in Kcnb1 provides an additional, valuable tool to study KCNB1 encephalopathies. Furthermore, this allelic series of Kcnb1 mouse models will provide a unique platform to evaluate targeted therapies.

Outcome of Stem Cell Transplantation in HTLV-1-Associated North American Adult T-Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma.

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) remains challenging to treat and has dismal outcome. Allogeneic stem-cell transplantation (allo-SCT) has promising results, but data remain scarce. In this single-center retrospective analysis of 100 patients with ATLL from north America (67 acute, 22 lymphomatous), 17 underwent allo-SCT and 5 autologous SCT (ASCT), with a median follow-up of 65 months. Post-transplant 3-years relapse incidence (RI) and non-relapse mortality (NRM) were 51% and 37%, respectively, and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 31% and 35%, respectively. ASCT 1-year RI was 80% compared to 30% in allo-SCT (p = 0.03). After adjusting for immortal-time bias, allo-SCT had significantly improved OS (HR = 0.4, p = 0.01). In exploratory multivariate analysis, patients achieving first complete response and Karnofsky score ≥ 90 had significantly better outcomes, as did Black patients, compared to Hispanics, who had worse outcome. In transplanted patients, 14 died within 2 years, 4 of which ASCT recipients. Our data are the largest ATLL transplant cohort presented to date outside of Japan and Europe. We show that allo-SCT, but not ASCT, is a valid option in select ATLL patients, and can induce long term survival, with 40% of patients alive after more than 5 years.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Patients With Multiple Myeloma-A Call for Equal Opportunity.

This Viewpoint examines the equity of US Food and Drug Administration approval and the clinical distribution of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma.

A Co-Management Model for Myeloid Malignancies That Evolved during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Myeloid malignancies are a heterogeneous group of clonal bone marrow disorders that are complex to manage in the community and therefore often referred to subspecialists at tertiary oncology referral centers. Many patients do not live in close proximity to tertiary referral centers and are unable to commute long distances due to age, comorbidities, and frailty. Interventions that minimize the travel time burden without compromising quality of care are an area of unmet need. We describe a cancer care delivery model for patients with myeloid malignancies that is built around telehealth and enables this vulnerable population access to care at an NCI-designated cancer center while receiving majority of their care close to home. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We report on a cohort of patients with myeloid malignancies who were co-managed by a general community oncologist and an academic leukemia subspecialist at Montefiore Einstein Cancer Center in New York. Patients were initially referred to our institute for a second opinion by community practices that are in partnership with Montefiore Health System, and initial visits were in-person or via telehealth. Treatment plans were made after discussion with patient's local community oncologist. Patients then continued to receive majority of their treatment and supportive care including transfusion support with their local oncologist, and follow-up visits were mainly via telehealth with the academic leukemia subspecialist. RESULTS: Our cohort of 12 patients had a median age of 81 years (range, 59-88 years). Patients remained on active treatment for a median time of 357 days (range, 154-557 days). Most of our patients had a performance status of ECOG 2 or higher. Three patients had myelodysplastic syndromes, 7 patients had acute myeloid leukemia, and 2 patients had myelofibrosis. The median number of hospitalizations over the total treatment time period was one. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate a shared academic and community care co-management model for the treatment of myeloid malignancies in elderly, frail patients using telehealth as a backbone with a very low hospitalization rate.

Evaluating the interplay between estrous cyclicity and flurothyl-induced seizure susceptibility in Scn2a K1422E mice.

Recently, we demonstrated that Scn2a K1422E female mice showed a distinct distribution of flurothyl-induced seizure thresholds. To evaluate whether the estrous cycle contributes to this effect, estrous cycle monitoring was performed in mice that had undergone ovariectomy, sham surgery, or no treatment prior to seizure induction. Ovariectomy did not affect the non-unimodal distribution of flurothyl seizure thresholds observed in Scn2a K1422E females. Additionally, seizure thresholds were not associated with estrous cycle stage in mice that underwent sham surgery or in non-surgerized (intact) mice. Interestingly, intact Scn2a K1422E females showed evidence of disrupted estrous cyclicity, an effect not previously described in a genetic epilepsy model.

Universal posttransplant cyclophosphamide after allogeneic transplant, a retrospective single institution study.

BACKGROUND: The excellent results of posttransplant cyclophosphamide in decreasing graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after haploidentical (HI) allogeneic transplant have challenged current donor selection algorithms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared outcomes after matched sibling (MSD) versus alternative donor transplant using identical graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis including posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy. Endpoints included engraftment, time outside of the hospital in the first 100 days after transplant, overall survival (OS), non-relapse mortality (NRM) and percentage of patients disease-free and off immunosuppression (DFOI) at one year and at the last follow-up. RESULTS: There were significant differences at baseline between matched donor versus HI donor transplants with higher disease-risk index (DRI), more female-to-male donor recipient pairs and a higher percentage of Black patients in the HI group. Engraftment and time out of the hospital favored MSD and matched unrelated donor transplants. Multivariate analysis showed that high DRI and Black race were associated with decreased survival and Black race was associated with a higher NRM. CONCLUSIONS: With the use of PTCy, our results support current donor selection algorithms. The finding of decreased survival and increased NRM in Black patients requires confirmation in a larger number of patients as well as the development of mitigation strategies.

Cellular and behavioral effects of altered NaV1.2 sodium channel ion permeability in Scn2aK1422E mice.

Genetic variants in SCN2A, encoding the NaV1.2 voltage-gated sodium channel, are associated with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping phenotypes. Some variants fit into a framework wherein gain-of-function missense variants that increase neuronal excitability lead to developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, while loss-of-function variants that reduce neuronal excitability lead to intellectual disability and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with or without co-morbid seizures. One unique case less easily classified using this framework is the de novo missense variant SCN2A-p.K1422E, associated with infant-onset developmental delay, infantile spasms and features of ASD. Prior structure-function studies demonstrated that K1422E substitution alters ion selectivity of NaV1.2, conferring Ca2+ permeability, lowering overall conductance and conferring resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX). Based on heterologous expression of K1422E, we developed a compartmental neuron model incorporating variant channels that predicted reductions in peak action potential (AP) speed. We generated Scn2aK1422E mice and characterized effects on neurons and neurological/neurobehavioral phenotypes. Cultured cortical neurons from heterozygous Scn2aK1422E/+ mice exhibited lower current density with a TTX-resistant component and reversal potential consistent with mixed ion permeation. Recordings from Scn2aK1442E/+ cortical slices demonstrated impaired AP initiation and larger Ca2+ transients at the axon initial segment during the rising phase of the AP, suggesting complex effects on channel function. Scn2aK1422E/+ mice exhibited rare spontaneous seizures, interictal electroencephalogram abnormalities, altered induced seizure thresholds, reduced anxiety-like behavior and alterations in olfactory-guided social behavior. Overall, Scn2aK1422E/+ mice present with phenotypes similar yet distinct from other Scn2a models, consistent with complex effects of K1422E on NaV1.2 channel function.

Successful administration of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy in patients requiring hemodialysis.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell malignancies. However, there is no data on the safety and efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring dialysis. In this report, we present two patients with DLBCL and ESRD who were successfully treated with different CAR T-cell products. Patient #1 is a 66 year-old woman with a history of HIV who was treated to complete response with axicabtagene ciloleucel with treatment complicated by grade 1 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and grade 2 immune effector cell-associated neurolotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). Patient #2 is 52 year old woman whose ESRD was caused by ifosphamide toxicity and was treated to complete response with lisocabtagene maraleucel and did not experience either CRS or ICANS. Both patients received lymphodepletion chemotherapy with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, which was dose-adjusted for ESRD with scheduled dialysis 12 h after each dose of lymphodepletion chemotherapy. Patients with DLBCL and ESRD can be safely administered both lymphodepletion chemotherapy and CAR T-cell therapy. Additionally, the fact that both patients achieved complete response to therapy suggests that CAR T-cell therapy should be strongly considered in patients with ESRD. Long-term follow up is needed to determine if therapy in this setting is of curative intent.

Persistent opioid use in patients with multiple myeloma post-ASCT.

PURPOSE: Bone pain is a common presenting symptom of multiple myeloma (MM) and is frequently treated with opioids in addition to myeloma directed therapy. With improved response and survival with modern myeloma therapy, it is important to re-examine the role of opioids in managing symptomatic myeloma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with myeloma at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey (RCINJ) who received an ASCT between January 1, 2012, and December 30, 2017, and who had subsequent follow-up (a total of 138 patients). We sought information specifically from the visits after induction therapy but prior to ASCT, at 100 days and 1-year post-ASCT follow-up visits. We compared opioid users and non-users in relation to treatment response, co-morbid conditions, and symptoms. We also examined amounts, duration, and odds of continued opioid use. RESULTS: At the time of the first analysis (before transplant), 34.8% of patients were using opioids and opioid use was more frequent in younger patients and, as expected, in patients with bone lesions. At 1 year, 31.9% of patients were still using opioids and continued opioid use was not correlated with disease response. Of the patients using opioids at the time of transplant, 58% either maintained their opioid dose or increased it at 1-year post-transplant. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis shows that despite a small decrease in opioid use over time, opioid use remains frequent in MM patients and is correlated with younger age and bone involvement but not with response to therapy. Over half the patients using opioids at the time of transplant continued or increased opioid use over the following year. With increasing survival in myeloma patients, further attention is required to distinguish cancer pain from chronic pain in cancer patients.

COVID-19 Vaccine Responses in Patients With Plasma Cell Dyscrasias After Complete Vaccination.

INTRODUCTION: Due to functional hypogammaglobulinemia, patients with multiple myeloma are at increased risk for infection and generally have poorer responses to vaccines. In this study, we examined antibody responses after complete COVID-19 vaccination in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias, most of whom were receiving treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real world study of consecutive patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell dyscrasias (PCD) were evaluated after complete vaccination with either the 2-shot mRNA vaccines from BioNTech and Moderna or the 1-shot adenoviral vector vaccine from Johnson & Johnson (J&J). Patients received vaccines 1-4 months before antibody testing without controlling for the type of vaccine or the timing of drug therapy. Patients with a clinical history or antibody evidence of prior infection were excluded. Antinucleocapsid and quantitative anti-spike antibody levels were measured with the Roche Elecys assay. RESULTS: Ninety-five percent of patients had detectable antibody responses. Multivariate analysis showed that higher age, ongoing anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody therapy and the J&J vaccine negatively affected quantitative response. A small number of ineffectively vaccinated patients receiving IVIG subsequently had detectable nucleocapsid and spike antibodies confirming the presence of the latter in currently administered IVIG. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all PCD had detectable anti-spike antibodies after vaccination but age, anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody therapy, and the single-shot J&J vaccine negatively affected responses. In patients who received the J&J vaccine, second doses or heterologous mRNA vaccines should be tested. Quantitative antibody testing might make future management more rational, particularly in patients with poor responses.