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Plasma Cell Disorders

Impact of CR before and after allogeneic and autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma: results from the EBMT NMAM2000 prospective trial

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that obtaining complete hematologic remission (CR) in multiple myeloma is an important predictor of PFS and OS. This applies both to autologous and allogeneic transplantation. However, the importance of CR obtained before vs after second transplant or following allogeneic vs autologous transplantation is not clear. We investigated the role of CR analyzing data from the EBMT-NMAM2000 interventional prospective study comparing tandem autologous/reduced intensity conditioning allogeneic transplantation (auto/RICallo) to autologous transplantation—single or double (auto/auto). Allocation to treatment was performed according to availability of a matched sibling donor. Cox regression and multi-state models were applied. The long-term probability of survival in CR was superior in auto/RICallo, both comparing groups according to treatment allocated at start (28.8 vs 11.4% at 60 months, P=0.0004) and according to actual administration of second transplant (25.6 vs 9.6% at 60 months, P=0.008). CR achieved before the second transplant was predictive for PFS (hazard ratio (HR)=0.44, P= 0.003) and OS (HR 0.51, P=0.047) irrespective of the type of second transplant. CR achieved after auto/RICallo was more beneficial for PFS (HR=0.53, P=0.027) than CR after auto/auto (HR=0.81, P=0.390), indicating a better durability of CR obtained after an allotransplant procedure.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Hein Putter (Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center) for statistical input and for support through his grant awarded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (Grant ZONMW-912-07-018 ‘Prognostic modeling and dynamic prediction for competing risks and multi-state models’, LCdW). Other funding (GG): Swedish Cancer Fund; Stockholm Cancer Society; Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduction of the study, nor in interpretation of the data or in decisions regarding writing the report and submitting for publication.

Author Contributions

Conception and design: SI, GG and DN. Collection and assembly of data: All authors. Data analysis and interpretation: SI, LCdW, SS, CM, DN, LG, NK and GG. Manuscript writing: All authors. Final approval of manuscript: All authors.

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Correspondence to S Iacobelli.

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Competing interests

UH: Janssen and Binding Site—received personal fees outside the submitted work. SS: Janssen, Celgene and Binding Site– received personal fees outside the submitted work. PC: Celgene—Honoraria. HG: Janssen—advisory board, speakers bureau, research support; Celgene—advisory board, speakers bureau, research support; Novartis—advisory board, speakers bureau, research support; Chugai—speakers bureau, research support; Onyx—advisory board, speakers bureau; Millenium—advisory board, speakers bureau. GG: Fujimoto Pharmaceutical Cooperation Japan—consultant or advisory relationship; Celgene—Honoraria, research funding. The other authors have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

This work has been presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, London, April 2013, oral session ‘CLL, MPD, MDS & Myeloma’, and it was presented as deliverable of the WP14 Stem Cell Transplant of European LeukemiaNet (February 2014).

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Iacobelli, S., de Wreede, L., Schönland, S. et al. Impact of CR before and after allogeneic and autologous transplantation in multiple myeloma: results from the EBMT NMAM2000 prospective trial. Bone Marrow Transplant 50, 505–510 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2014.310

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