Multiple myeloma (MM) is a neoplastic disease deriving from an abnormal proliferation of monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow. The survival of MM patients varies from less than 6 months to more than 10 years depending on the stage of disease at diagnosis and prognostic factors. Before 2021, in Italy three current standard treatments were approved for elderly or younger patients with significant comorbidities not eligible for autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT): bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone (VMP), melphalan-prednisone-thalidomide (MPT) and lenalidomide with low-dose dexamethasone (Rd). Daratumumab is a human IgGk monoclonal antibody that targets CD38, that showed clinical benefit in combination with standard-of-care therapy. The addition of Daratumumab (Dara) to VMP and Rd has created two new standards-of-care regimens Dara-VMP and Dara-Rd, which were approved by the EMA in October 2019, and by the AIFA at the beginning of 2021, based on the results of two large phase 3 studies.
A consistent fraction of elderly patients with cancer and co-morbidities are at increased risk of developing frailty (an emergent geriatric syndrome), as well as physical and cognitive decline, with negative effect on dependance, nutrition and lifestyle, and eventually on responsiveness to and efficacy of treatments.
A frailty scale was recently described that categorized patients with MM as fit, intermediate or frail based on age, comorbidities, and physical and cognitive functioning. The frailty score was a predictor of death, progression of the disease, toxicity and drug discontinuation.
The aim of this study was to compare the first line standard treatments, the triplet VMP versus the doublet Rd, that were available when the study was designed. Until 17th December 2021, 228 patients were enrolled in this trial and randomized to VMP vs Rd. Since Dara-VMP and Dara-Rd have recently become the new standard regimens, in this amendment of the study, daratumumab is added to VMP and Rd.
In this project, we will compare available first line standard treatments, the triplet VMP versus the doublet Rd with or without daratumumab (Dara-VMP, Dara-Rd), in an unselected population of patients ≥ 65 years affected by MM in every day clinical practice.
In the last decade, many novel and expensive drugs have been approved for this disease, yet the general older population is not adequately represented in validating trials. Nevertheless, the results and treatments derived from those registrational trials have often been applied to the real-life older population, with a high risk to produce a negative impact on patient functional capacity and ability to carry out daily tasks, cognitive function, mental status, nutritional condition, social situation/capability to stay at home and finally affecting their quality of life (QoL) and OS.
The main aim of the project is to evaluate the best initial treatment for elderly MM patients and to compare benefits, risks, QoL and costs of currently available, standard treatments according to the patient frailty profile.