Dr. Yee on Treatment Considerations in Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Andrew Yee, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, hematologist/oncologist, Center for Multiple Myeloma, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses treatment considerations in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

It is important to tailor an individual’s treatment based on the type of relapse they are experiencing, says Yee.

In the majority of cases, patients will have a biochemical relapse defined by elevated monoclonal protein or free light chain, explains Yee. For these patients, less intensive therapy with corticosteroids or oral agents should be considered.

Alternatively, patients who have a more aggressive relapse with high-risk features such as lytic bone lesions, a dramatic increase in monoclonal protein, or high-risk fluorescence in situ hybridization should be considered for more intensive therapy with triplet therapy, concludes Yee.