MRD and Treatment Response in Multiple Myeloma

Jill Burke, NP, and Tanika Pittman, APRN, discuss how findings from the PERSEUS and CEPHEUS studies have informed frontline treatment strategies and patient counseling in multiple myeloma, particularly around depth of response and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity. Jill highlights the higher rates of MRD negativity observed with daratumumab-containing therapy in both transplant-eligible and transplant-ineligible populations and explains how these findings have influenced conversations about treatment response. The faculty note that patients often associate MRD negativity with the idea that their cancer is completely gone, creating an important counseling opportunity for APPs. Tanika emphasizes that the evolving evidence has shifted discussions beyond whether treatment will work toward how deep and durable a response can be achieved. She advocates communicating these results with optimism while maintaining realistic expectations, explaining that MRD negativity reflects a very deep level of disease control but does not mean that multiple myeloma has been permanently cured. The discussion also highlights how understanding MRD and communicating its implications can help patients better understand the rationale for continued therapy and ongoing disease monitoring rather than expecting treatment to end after a predetermined number of cycles.