Treatment strategy for untreated transplantation-ineligible multiple myeloma patients

Abstract

Novel drugs, such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and antibody drugs, have been consistently developed, and several standard treatment regimens were approved for elderly patients with multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous transplantation. Meanwhile, the clinical characteristics of elderly patients are more diverse than those of younger patients in terms of various factors, such as cognitive, mental, or social functions as well as physical or organ functions. Therefore, it is difficult to implement a standard treatment regimen to all elderly patients with a one-size-fits-all approach. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the diversity of elderly patients as objectively as possible by evaluating organ functions and frailty in accordance with geriatric assessment, which helps determine the treatment plan. In addition, it is also ideal to select the treatment after considering the factors associated with tumors, such as the presence or absence of unfavorable chromosomal abnormalities.