COMy 2017 | What’s next for rare myelomas?
Elena Zamagni, MD, PhD, from the Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Policlinico S. Orsola, Malpighi, Bologna, Italy, discusses rare forms of multiple myeloma (MM) at the 2017 World Congress on Controversies in Multiple Myeloma (COMy) in Paris, France. She explains that rare forms of multiple myeloma differ in their underlying biology from typical myeloma, and that most prospective trials don’t include these patients. Dr Zamagni outlines the biological differences in the rare myeloma forms extramedullary plasmacytoma and plasma cell leukemia, and that these show a much lower median progression-free survival (PFS) than typical myeloma. She proposes that specific trials should be designed for these patients, or that they should be included in multiple myeloma trials and analyzed separately. Dr Zamagni also speaks about how treatment should be made continuous and dose-dense to avoid relapse while off treatment.
