Dr. O'Donnell on Transplant Considerations in Multiple Myeloma

Betsy O'Donnell, MD, medical oncologist in the Multiple Myeloma Disease Center and director of Lifestyle Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses transplant considerations in patients with multiple myeloma.

Historically, if a clinical trial is being run, the definition of a transplant-eligible versus -ineligible patient was based on age, usually, the age of 65 years, says O’Donnell. However, it is known that this is not how it plays out in the real world, and patients up to the age of 75 years can undergo transplant safely and receive benefit from the procedure. As such, a gray zone that exists [with regard to age]. In that area, other factors are often considered, such as ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living and comorbidities; these factors will help determine how fit or unfit a patient is and whether or not they would be able to tolerate high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell therapy versus just doing a longer induction phase, concludes O’Donnell.