Impact of induction treatment before autologous stem cell transplantation on long‐term outcome in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Objective Clinical trials for patients with multiple myeloma (MM) using novel agent (NA)‐based regimens before autologous stem cell transplantation ( SCT ) have shown improvement in response rates and progression‐free survival ( PFS ); however they have failed to identify a significant overall survival ( OS ) benefit. The aim of this study was to analyze the potential impact of initial induction on the feasibility and outcome of subsequent treatment lines in a real clinical practice setting. Methods Patients with consecutive MM <70 years of age diagnosed between 1999 and 2009 were prospectively registered and classified as having received conventional chemotherapy induction regimens with new agents available at relapse ( CC cohort, 89 patients) or as treated with NAs upfront ( NA cohort, 65 patients). Results Patients in the NA cohort demonstrated a superior median PFS (2.8 years vs 1.6 years, P =.03) and also a median PFS from diagnosis to second progression (5.2 years vs 2.7 years, P =.003). After a median follow‐up of 7 years, clear differences in OS were observed (7.97 years in NA cohort compared to 3.35 years in CC cohort, P <.001). Conclusions New agent‐based first‐line induction treatments provide benefits in both PFS and beyond that point, contributing to a significant improvement in OS .