Recommendations for acquisition, interpretation and reporting of whole body low dose CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a report of the IMWG Bone Working Group
─ October 4, 2018
Whole Body Low Dose CT (WBLDCT) has important advantages as a first-line imaging modality for bone disease assessment in patients with plasma cell disorders and has been included in the 2014 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) definition. Nevertheless, standardization guidelines for the optimal use of WBLDCT in MM patients are still lacking, preventing its more widespread use, both in daily practice and clinical trials. The aim of this report by the Bone Group of the IMWG is to provide practical recommendations for the acquisition, interpretation and
Analysis of Availability and Access of Anti-myeloma Drugs and Impact on the Management of Multiple Myeloma in Latin American Countries
─ August 29, 2018
Latin American countries (LATAMC) represent a large fraction of patients treated for multiple myeloma (MM) worldwide. In order to understand the difficulty of access to anti-myeloma therapy in LATAMC, we designed this study that explores areas involved in the availability of drugs, such as health care systems, approval times, coverage of new agents, old drugs, use of generics, and the first-line treatments. Authors: Roberto José Pessoa de Magalhães Filho, Edvan Crusoe, Eloisa Riva, Willen Bujan, Guilhermo Conte, Juan Ramon Navarro Cabrera, Diana Katerine Garcia, Guilhermo
Whole-body computed tomography versus conventional skeletal survey in patients with multiple myeloma: a study of the International Myeloma Working Group
─ August 25, 2017
For decades, conventional skeletal survey (CSS) has been the standard imaging technique for multiple myeloma (MM). However, recently whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) has been implemented into the diagnostic criteria of MM. This analysis compares sensitivity and prognostic significance of WBCT and CSS in patients with smoldering MM (SMM) and MM. Fifty-four of 212 patients (25.5%) had a negative CSS and a positive WBCT for osteolytic lesions (P<0.0001). Of 66 patients with SMM based on CSS, 12 (22.2%) had osteolytic lesions on WBCT. In comparison, WBCT failed to detect some
Natural history of relapsed myeloma, refractory to immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors: A multicenter IMWG study
─ May 12, 2017
Introduction of new myeloma therapies offers new options for patients refractory to immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) and proteasome inhibitors (PIs). In this multicenter study, patients with relapsed multiple myeloma, who have received at least three prior lines of therapy, are refractory to both an IMiD (lenalidomide or pomalidomide) and a PI (bortezomib or carfilzomib), and have been exposed to an alkylating agent were identified. The time patients met the above criteria was defined as time zero (T0). Five hundred and forty-three patients diagnosed between 2006 and 2014 were enrolled in this
Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis and management of multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders: a consensus statement by the International Myeloma Working Group
─ April 6, 2017
The International Myeloma Working Group consensus aimed to provide recommendations for the optimal use of 18fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/CT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders, including smouldering multiple myeloma and solitary plasmacytoma. 18F-FDG PET/CT can be considered a valuable tool for the work-up of patients with both newly diagnosed and relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma because it assesses bone damage with relatively high sensitivity and specificity, and detects extramedullary sites of proliferating clonal plasma cells while providing
Second primary malignancies in multiple myeloma: an overview and IMWG consensus
─ January 24, 2017
Therapeutic advancements following the introduction of autologous stem cell transplantation and novel agents have significantly improved clinical outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Increased life expectancy, however, has led to renewed concerns about the long-term risk of second primary malignancies (SPMs). This review outlines the most up-to-date knowledge of possible host-, disease-, and treatment-related risk factors for the development of SPMs in patients with MM, and provides practical recommendations to assist physicians. Authors: P. Musto K. C. Anderson M. Attal P.
International Myeloma Working Group consensus criteria for response and minimal residual disease assessment in multiple myeloma
─ July 28, 2016
The updated criteria for the diagnosis of myeloma represent a paradigm shift in the approach to myeloma and have considerable impact on the management of the disease. For decades the diagnosis of multiple myeloma required the presence of end-organ damage known as the CRAB criteria, including increased calcium level, renal dysfunction, anemia, and destructive bone lesions. The updated criteria allow for treatment of patients who are at such high risk of progression to symptomatic disease that it is clear they would benefit from therapy and also potentially live longer if they were treated
Treatment of multiple myeloma with high-risk cytogenetics: a consensus of the International Myeloma Working Group
─ June 16, 2016
The International Myeloma Working Group consensus updates the definition for high-risk (HR) multiple myeloma based on cytogenetics Several cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;14), del(17/17p), t(14;16), t(14;20), nonhyperdiploidy, and gain(1q) were identified that confer poor prognosis. The prognosis of patients showing these abnormalities may vary with the choice of therapy. Treatment strategies have shown promise for HR cytogenetic diseases, such as proteasome inhibition in combination with lenalidomide/pomalidomide, double autologous stem cell transplant plus bortezomib, or combination
International Myeloma Working Group Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Myeloma-Related Renal Impairment
─ March 15, 2016
Recommendations developed by the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), the research arm of the IMF, were published online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on March 14, 2016. The recommendations are based on data gathered through December 2015 and analyzed by Meletios A. Dimopoulos, MD, from the University of Athens in Greece, and colleagues. Authors: Giampaolo Merlini, Heinz Ludwig, Efstathios Kastritis, Hartmut Goldschmidt, Douglas Joshua, Robert Z. Orlowski, Raymond Powles, David H. Vesole, Laurent Garderet, Hermann Einsele, Antonio Palumbo, Michele Cavo, Paul G. Richardson,
Management of relapsed multiple myeloma: recommendations of the International Myeloma Working Group
─ December 29, 2015
The prognosis for patients multiple myeloma (MM) has improved substantially over the past decade with the development of new, more effective chemotherapeutic agents and regimens that possess a high level of anti-tumor activity. In spite of this important progress, however, nearly all MM patients ultimately relapse, even those who experience a complete response to initial therapy. Management of relapsed MM thus represents a vital aspect of the overall care for patients with MM and a critical area of ongoing scientific and clinical research. This comprehensive manuscript from the International
