Strategies for Treating Patients With Newly Diagnosed High-Risk Multiple Myeloma

At the 2023 Lymphoma, Leukemia & Myeloma Congress in New York, New York, Suzanne Lentszch, MD, PhD, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York discusses the management of high-risk, newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. 

Transcript:

My name is Suzanne Lentszch. I'm the director of the Multiple Myeloma and Amyloidosis program at Columbia University here in New York. I'm pleased to be here at this important meeting, the Lymphoma, Leukemia & Myeloma Congress 2023. 

It's a nice tradition to have once a year in October, this very important meeting that really gives us an update on what is going on in hematological malignancies. Today, my presentation was on high-risk multiple myeloma [and] newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. We know that around 15% of all myeloma patients diagnosed have a high-risk, multiple myeloma, ultra high-risk multiple myeloma. I think it's the most difficult patient population we have. Very often, those patients do not really respond to our standard regimens. That means a proteasome inhibitor and [immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs)], and a CD38 antibody and steroid. 

My presentation focused on what can we do for those patients. I pointed out that we have to be more aggressive with the ultra-high-risk patients. They need intense treatment. For transplant-eligible patients, it's important that they receive transplant, and also continuous treatment after achieving remission, for instance, after transplant, needs to be continued. That's very important.

I think my presentation was really to make sure that we exhaust all options we have for our high-risk patients, in order to achieve an optimal outcome.

Source:

Lentszch S. Management of High-risk Patient: How do we Define? Should there be a Novel Approach? Presented at Lymphoma, Leukemia & Myeloma Congress; October 18-21, 2023. New York, NY