Multiple Myeloma Patients Aged 40 Years and Younger Have the Same Prognosis As Older Patients in an Analysis of Real-World Evidence from Latin America: A Study of 1,316 Patients from the Gelamm Latin American Multiple Myeloma Studygroup

Background

Less than 2% of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are diagnosed 40 or younger, and it has been reported that these patients may have better clinical outcomes. We analyze the clinical behaviour of these young patients in Latin America.

Materials/methods

An international multicenter retrospective cohort study comparing the clinical behaviour of patients 40 years or younger with older patients. A total of 1,316 patients receiving treatment for MM between 2010 and 2018 using the IMWG diagnostic criteria were included from 6 Latin American countries. Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, response to treatment, and overall survival were analyzed.

Results

We included three different cohorts 40 or younger (n=103), 41 to 50 (n=256) and 51 or older (n=957). The median age of the 103 patients aged 40 years or younger was 35.14 years, and 64.1% were men. There were no significant differences in demographics, clinical presentation, treatment received and pre-and post-transplant response rates across the three cohorts Tables 1 to 4. However, there is a trend to deepen post-ASCT response in those under 40. With a median follow-up of 32 months, the median OS for the entire cohort was 85 months, with no statistically significant difference for the three age groups (p=0.337). The median OS for the entire cohort that did not undergo ASCT was 53 months and 93 months in the transplanted group, with no statistically significant differences across the three age groups (p= 0.940) Figure 1. Specifically, in the group aged 40 or younger, 53.4% were transplanted, and the median OS in this group was 78 months and 63 months in the younger non-transplanted group.

Conclusions

Overall, we found that the young Latin-American population has the same clinical presentation and achieves the same responses and survival as older patients. Those young patients may require a different therapeutic approach.