OBJECTIVES

: Multiple Myeloma (MM) goal of treatment is to control de disease and maintain the remission as long as possible keeping acceptable quality of life. To achieve optimal results, the experience of the hematologist and therapeutic adjustments to individual patients´ characteristics are essential.

Our project aimed to help to understand the perception about the reality and desirable management of MM in Spain.

METHODS

: After aliterature review, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among clinical haematologists with the support of the Spanish Group of Myeloma (GEM/PETHEMA).

RESULTS

: From 50 hematologists (16 years of experience), 90% would consider important to have a guide for the management of "high risk" patients. Plasma cell leukemia, cytogenetic markers (17p deletion and/or (4;14) translocation), extramedullary disease and revised ISS stage III would be indicative of bad prognosis. To define therapeutic strategies, these factors should be considered additionally to patient characteristics.. In patients with symptomatic “high risk” MM transplant eligible, treatment strategies are variable, 60% would prefer to conduct a double autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) strategy after a triplet induction combination. After ASCT, 31% of patients are being treated with consolidation followed by long term maintenance and 26% of patients don’t receive subsequent treatment. For patients non-eligible for transplant, between30%- 39% of physicians would consider appropriate a continuous treatment strategies from the beginning of the disease. CONCLUSIONS

: Management of high-risk MM patients in current clinical practice in Spain does not differ significantly from that used in standard risk. This study reveals the need to define risk-based patient profiles and differential treatment guidelines to improve outcomes and control of the disease.