Clinical Outcomes and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) Among Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT)-Eligible and RCT-Ineligible Patients: Results from the Connect^® MM Registry

Background: MM clinical trials often have stringent eligibility criteria that limit the enrollment of patients (pts) reflective of the general patient population (Shah, Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 2017). The Connect^® MM Registry, a prospective observational study of pts with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) in the US, provided the opportunity to examine differences between pts with MM who were identified as RCT-eligible vs -ineligible, to observe the generalizability of clinical trial results to real-world clinical settings. Differences in baseline characteristics, treatment, clinical outcomes, and HRQoL were examined in RCT-eligible and -ineligible pts from this registry, which represents an unselected, broad real-world population.

Methods: Pts with NDMM were enrolled at 250 community, academic, and government sites. Eligible pts were ≥18 y of age with symptomatic MM diagnosed ≤2 months preenrollment per the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria. For this analysis, pts were considered ineligible for RCT per the following key exclusion criteria previously described: absolute neutrophil count ≤1.5 × 10⁹/L, platelet count ≤75 × 10⁹/L, creatinine >2.5 mg/dL, AST/ALT >3 times the ULN, peripheral neuropathy grade >2; ECOG PS 3/4; history of myelodysplastic syndromes/other hematologic malignancies, or solid tumors (Shah 2017). Sites administered pt HRQoL questionnaires and provided clinical data at baseline and quarterly during follow-up until death or study discontinuation. Differences in HRQoL at baseline, changes from baseline to 1 and 2 years, and survival outcomes, adjusted for covariates via propensity score, were compared between RCT-eligible/-ineligible pts.

Results: Of the 3011 pts enrolled, 2873 pts met the CRAB (hyperCalcemia, Renal failure, Anemia, and Bone disease) criteria per IMWG at enrollment. Of these, 1622 (56.5%) were identified as RCT-eligible and 1251 (43.5%) as RCT-ineligible (data cut-off February 7, 2019). Both groups were similar in median age, sex, race, and ethnicity distribution, although the RCT-ineligible group had more pts aged ≥75 y (26.3% vs 23.2%) and more pts with ECOG PS 3/4 (6.2% vs none). Overall, 34.5% of RCT-ineligible pts received a transplant vs 42.8% of RCT-eligible pts. More RCT-ineligible pts had ISS stage III disease (39.4% vs 19.8%), elevated calcium (≥11.5 mg/dL; 12.7% vs 6.8%), elevated creatinine (>2.0 mg/dL; 40.3% vs 6.5%), and low hemoglobin (<10 g/dL or >2 g/dL <LLN; 60.8% vs 40.3%). Use of triplet treatment (54.2% vs 56.2%) and alkylator (24.9% vs 20.1%) was similar between the RCT-ineligible/-eligible groups. Lenalidomide + bortezomib + dexamethasone (RVd) was the most common initial therapy, and R was the most common maintenance therapy in both groups, but fewer RCT-ineligible pts received RVd as initial therapy (23.9% vs 31.0%) and R as first maintenance regimen (18.1% vs 22.7%). Absolute baseline HRQoL scores were significantly higher, indicating better HRQoL, in RCT-eligible (115.9) vs -ineligible (111.5) pts on the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Multiple Myeloma (FACT-MM) Total score (P=0.007), FACT-MM Trial Outcome Index (74.3 vs 70.3, P=0.002), and FACT-MM Subscale (37.3 vs 35.5, P=0.003). Scores were similar for EuroQol-5D Overall Index (0.73 vs 0.72, P=0.5) and Brief Pain Inventory (3.42 vs 3.43, P=0.9). Both RCT-eligible and -ineligible pts showed significant improvement in HRQoL from baseline at years 1 and 2, although the magnitude of improvement was similar between both groups (Fig. 1a and b). RCT-ineligible pts showed significantly shorter median PFS and OS vs RCT-eligible pts (Fig. 2 & 3, respectively).

Conclusions: The CONNECT MM registry provided the opportunity to examine key differences between RCT-eligible and -ineligible pts. By applying common RCT eligibility criteria, a substantial proportion of MM pts (43.5%) in this real-world population may have been ineligible to participate in a RCT. RCT-ineligible pts had advanced disease, poor performance status, and poor laboratory parameters at baseline vs RCT-eligible pts, which could affect PFS and OS. These findings enhance our understanding of HRQoL among MM pts, which at present, is largely based on RCT participants. A similar magnitude of HRQoL improvement in both groups at 1 and 2 years suggests the need to evaluate RCT eligibility criteria in MM to help broaden enrollment and maximize external validity.

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