Abstract: Objective To evaluate the effect of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on treatment response and survival outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) receiving treatments with proteasome inhibitors and lenalidomide. Methods We retrospectively collected the clinical data of newly diagnosed MM patients, who were eligible for ASCT and received proteasome inhibitors or lenalidomide-based treatment in our hospital from January, 2015 to December, 2019. The patients were divided into transplantation group and non-transplantation group, and in transplantation group, the patients received 4 to 6 courses of induction therapy with proteasome inhibitors or lenalidomide before ASCT, while those in the non-transplantation group received more than 8 courses of induction and consolidation therapy with proteasome inhibitors or lenalidomide-based regimens. The therapeutic efficacy and survival outcomes of the patinets were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 105 patients were enrolled in the study, including 48 (45.7% ) in transplantation group and 57 (54.3% ) in non-transplantation group. The two groups were matched for gender, age and treatment response after 4 courses of induction therapy (P>0.05). The rate of optimal response before relapse differed significantly between the two groups (P=0.000), and the patients receiving ASCT had significantly higher rates of complete response (85.4% vs 54.4% , P= 0.001) and very good partial response or better (95.8% vs 73.7%, P=0.002) than those without ASCT. At the end of follow-up, the median progression-free survival in the transplantation group was not reached, as compared with 29 months in the non-transplantation group (P=0.013). The median overall survival (OS) in the two groups was not reached, but the OS was better in the transplant group than in the non-transplant group (P=0.022). Conclusion ASCT can further improve the depth of remission and survival outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed MM receiving treatments with proteasome inhibitors and lenalidomide.

Key words: multiple myeloma; proteasome inhibitor; lenalidomide; autologous stem cell transplantation