Characterization of Frontline Treatment Patterns and Attrition Rates According to Subsequent Lines of Therapy in Non-Transplant Patients with Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Background: Each additional line of therapy is associated with lower rates of deeper responses, shorter durations of treatment-free intervals, and increased rates of toxicities/comorbidities in patients with multiple myeloma (MM; Yong K, et al. Br J Haematol 2016. 175[2]:252-264), all of which are factors that contribute to treatment discontinuation. In order to characterize the newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patient population in the United States not treated with a stem-cell transplant based on the number of subsequent lines of therapy (LOT) received, we examined baseline patient characteristics and pre-existing comorbidities, frontline treatment patterns, and attrition rates for these patients according to whether subsequent LOT was received or not received.

Methods: NDMM patients were identified from 3 US patient-level data sources: the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare Linked database (from January 2007 through December 2014), the OPTUM™ Commercial Claims database (from January 2000 through March 2017), and the OPTUM™ Electronic Medical Records (EMR) database (from January 2007 through March 2016). Patients included in the assessment had 1) an index diagnosis of MM on or after 1 January 2007, 2) known gender, 3) medical prescription coverage in place at diagnosis, 4) a 1-year look-back period prior to the index diagnosis, 5) no prior malignancies in the 1-year period prior to index diagnosis, and 6) received ≥1 LOT. The analysis was limited to patients who did not receive stem cell transplantation at any time during their follow-up. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted to characterize and compare patients who received or did not receive a subsequent LOT.

Results: The analysis included a total of 7,724 patients (1 LOT only: n = 3,906; 2+ LOT: n = 3,818). A summary of baseline patient characteristics and pre-existing comorbidities by LOT is summarized in Table 1. Patients who received a subsequent LOT vs those that did not were significantly younger (median age 72.0 vs 74.0 years; P <0.0001) and had significantly lower mean Charleston Comorbidity Index (CCI) score due to lower occurrence of renal, cardiac, and hepatic comorbidities (Table 1). Older age at diagnosis and presence of renal, congestive heart failure (CHF), hepatic, and pulmonary comorbidities were associated with higher attrition.

The regimens used in frontline treatment included bortezomib/dexamethasone (26%), lenalidomide/dexamethasone (21%), bortezomib/lenalidomide/dexamethasone (11%), a bortezomib/alkylator ± steroid combination (6%), bortezomib monotherapy (10%), lenalidomide monotherapy (6%), thalidomide monotherapy (4%), and other (17%).

The proportions of patients progressing to each subsequent line of therapy are shown in Table 2. In total, 49% of patients went on to receive a second line of therapy, and 55% of patients receiving a second line of therapy went on to receive a third line of therapy. The incidence of patients not receiving subsequent lines of therapy due to death or being lost to follow up by LOT is summarized in Table 2.

Conclusions: A majority of non-transplant patients with NDMM in the study did not progress to subsequent lines of therapy, with attrition as high as 50% per line of therapy and only <8% of patients reaching LOT 5. This high level of attrition is associated with older age and poor comorbidity status of non-transplant patients with NDMM. Therefore, utilizing the most optimal regimens upfront (rather than reserving them for later lines) is warranted.

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