Over the past ten years, the approval of several new and effective therapies for multiple myeloma has significantly improved overall survival outcomes. The introduction of novel therapies has led to high levels of complete response, and many novel techniques are now being explored for the assessment of the depth of response, one of the most effective thus far being measurable residual disease (MRD). MRD describes a small number of cancer cells which remain after treatment but can only be detected by highly sensitive tests. MRD negativity has been demonstrated to be predictive of longer progression-free survival in a number of studies.

In this podcast, Bruno Paiva, PhD, of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, Noemi Puig, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain, and Benjamin Derman, MD, of the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, discuss key research, presented at this year’s Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA 2021), investigating the role of MRD in the management of multiple myeloma.