Coinciding with the 16th Annual International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) Summit in Milan, Italy, the Journal of Clinical Oncology recently published a peer-reviewed article on the “International Myeloma Society/International Myeloma Working Group Consensus Recommendations on the Definition of High-Risk Multiple Myeloma.”
This is “the first consensus definition of high-risk multiple myeloma in the contemporary era of genomics,” as stated by the International Myeloma Society (IMS) in a press release.
The peer-reviewed article “provides critical and timely guidance for clinicians, researchers, clinical trial sponsors, patients, advocates, and other stakeholders, serving as a clear and concise roadmap for identifying high-risk disease in patients with multiple myeloma,” further states the IMS press release.
Currently, high-risk multiple myeloma (HRMM) patients are facing a challenging unmet need—experiencing poor outcomes despite being treated with newer and more advanced therapies.
To address this unmet need, the IMS and the IMWG collaborated to create a consensus definition of HRMM, based on the most up-to-date research on risk factors and treatment outcomes.
In clinical trials, there is currently no standard definition of HRMM. Several risk models exist, but many do not fully include the latest research on important genetic features or the impact of new treatments.
Additionally, patients placed in the same risk group using older models often have very different survival outcomes. The tools, risk markers, and cutoff points used to define HRMM vary from model to model, making it challenging for doctors to uniformly apply them in practice.
As one of the co-authors of the IMS-IMWG consensus article, IMF Chairperson of the Board S. Vincent Rajkumar, MD had this to say: "“By defining HRMM in a clear, consistent, and standardized manner, we are able to help doctors and clinicians identify the condition, provide accurate information to the patient, and treat the disease more effectively. By using this definition in clinical trials, we are able to discern which treatments work best for HRMM patients —even design clinical trials that are tailored to their unique needs and risk level."
IMWG Scientific Committee Member, IMF Scientific Advisory Board Member, IMS Past President and co-author of the IMS-IMWG consensus article Nikhil Munshi, MD (Director of Basic and Correlative Science, Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Kraft Family Chair and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School — Boston, MA) said that "the IMS-IMWG consensus definition provides more than just a compilation of high-risk features. Our intention is to facilitate the design and conduct of clinical trials focused on patients with high-risk disease, to foster the development of safe and effective therapies and, ultimately, to improve patient prognosis."
“Cancer therapy is increasingly omics-driven and genomic assessments, especially next-generation sequencing, informs treatment decisions across hematology/oncology practice. The consensus genomic staging put forth in this publication integrates, for the first time in the MM space, sequencing-based assessment into risk characterization. We encourage all myeloma clinicians and researchers, as well as hematology/oncology providers who care for and treat patients with myeloma, to access the paper and apply the definition going forward,” Dr. Munshi further added.
Another co-author of the IMS-IMWG consensus article, IMS President, IMWG Scientific and Steering Committee Member, and IMF Scientific Advisory Member Philippe Moreau, MD (Head of the Hematology Department, University Hospital of Nantes — Nantes, France) said: "this JCO® publication underscores the importance of collaboration in the myeloma community, spearheaded by the IMS. The discourse and debate at the 2023 IMS Genomics Meeting and subsequent discussions made it possible to develop consensus. This publication represents a core tenet of the IMS’ mission, bridging evidence and expertise to advance myeloma care for all patients.”
Also among the co-authors of the IMS/IMWG consensus study are IMF Scientific Advisory Board Members: Saad Z. Usmani, MD, MBA, FACP, FASCO (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center — New York, NY); Asian Myeloma Network Executive Committee Chairperson Wee Joo Chng, MD (National University Cancer Institute, National University Health System; and National University of Singapore—Singapore); Sagar Lonial MD, FACP (Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University — Atlanta, GA); María-Victoria Mateos, MD, PhD (University of Salamanca — Salamanca, Spain); and Shaji Kumar, MD (Mayo Clinic — Rochester, MN).
IMF Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Mikhael believes that “this is a critical guideline, not only for ongoing and future research, but to help medical teams caring for patients in the clinic.”
“We know high-risk myeloma is a challenge to treat, and this document will facilitate better care for those with the most aggressive form of the disease,” Dr. Mikhael further stated.
To view the IMS-IMWG consensus article, visit the ASCO Publications website.