Dr. Branagan on Tandem Transplants in Multiple Myeloma

Andrew Branagan, MD, a medical oncologist in the Center for Multiple Myeloma at Mass General Cancer Center in Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the research tandem transplants in patients with high-risk multiple myeloma.

Tandem transplants, meaning 2 back-to-back transplants, are being investigated in multiple myeloma treatment, explains Branagan. Tandem transplants are not a new concept and have occurred in the past, according to Branagan.

The European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation conducted a promising study showing that doing tandem transplant was beneficial in high-risk patients with multiple myeloma; however, these results were not validated in the United States, says Branagan. Tandem transplants, according to Branagan, are not going to change practice yet, but it is a consideration for a high-risk patient to do 2 transplants back-to-back.