Dr. Blue on Treatment Considerations for Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Brandon Blue, MD, oncologist, Malignant Hematology, Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses treatment considerations for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

Many options in the treatment armamentarium for patients with multiple myeloma have been compared with each other or doublet chemotherapy and have demonstrated some degree of benefit, according to Blue. However, it is important to determine which options patients are sensitive or refractory to, and what the associated toxicities are with each approach, Blue says. For example, many of these patients experience kidney issues or kidney failure, and as such, dose reductions or the exclusion of immunomodulatory drugs may be necessary, Blue adds.

Proteasome inhibitors and other classes of medicines have been investigated with monoclonal antibodies, as well as in other lines and with other mechanisms, to ensure that those combinations provide benefit to patients, Blue explains. More options have become available and it is now encouraged to combine agents with different mechanisms of action, especially now that there are data to support the use of drugs beyond daratumumab (Darzalex), such as isatuximab (Sarclisa), Blue concludes.