The Pharmacologic Management of Multiple Myeloma in Older Adults

Overview

Journal Expert Opin Pharmacother

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2019 Feb 21

PMID 30785310

Citations 7

Authors

Jessica L Dempsey

Andrew Johns

Ashley E Rosko

Hillard M Lazarus

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple myeloma is a disease predominately affecting older adults. Pivotal to treating older adults is understanding their physiologic differences compared to younger subjects and how the complexity of therapies has an impact upon this patient population.

Areas Covered: Herein, the authors address the efficacy of chemotherapy regimens, decision-making for older adults, chemotherapy-associated toxicity and the approach to management. This review focuses on the complex treatment of older multiple myeloma patients and management of treatment-related adverse events.

Expert Opinion: Balancing efficacy and managing toxicity is a challenge for older myeloma patients. This group is more susceptible to treatment toxicities due to a higher incidence of pre-existing comorbidities and underlying diminished physiologic reserve. Intensive therapies such as autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT), however, still should be considered for all multiple myeloma patients, including older adults. The continued development of novel therapies and increased use of multi-drug regimens has changed the treatment paradigms yet understanding the complexity of the aging adult in the context of various drugs is warranted.

Citing Articles

Comorbidities and survival of multiple myeloma patients diagnosed in Finland between 2000 and 2021.

Kysenius K, Anttalainen A, Toppila I, Miettinen T, Lassenius M, Lievonen J Ann Hematol. 2024; 103(8):2931-2943.

PMID: 38963447 PMC: 11380637. DOI: 10.1007/s00277-024-05865-y.

Recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma: a brief review.

Bobin A, Leleu X Fac Rev. 2022; 11:28.

PMID: 36225211 PMC: 9523543. DOI: 10.12703/r/11-28.

Comorbidity characteristics of multiple myeloma patients diagnosed in Finland 2005-2016.

Toppila I, Kysenius K, Miettinen T, Lassenius M, Lievonen J, Anttila P Ann Hematol. 2022; 101(11):2485-2495.

PMID: 36098791 PMC: 9546994. DOI: 10.1007/s00277-022-04959-9.

Real-world patient characteristics and treatment outcomes among nontransplanted multiple myeloma patients who received Bortezomib in combination with Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone as first line of therapy in the United States.

Medhekar R, Ran T, Fu A, Patel S, Kaila S BMC Cancer. 2022; 22(1):901.

PMID: 35982416 PMC: 9386920. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09980-9.

Oral therapy adherence and satisfaction in patients with multiple myeloma.

Solano M, Daguindau E, Faure C, Loriod P, Pain C, Maes A Ann Hematol. 2021; 100(7):1803-1813.

PMID: 33938996 DOI: 10.1007/s00277-021-04543-7.

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