Survival time for myeloma patients nearly doubled since 2005
But lead researcher in real-world study says survival still 'devastatingly low'
Over a 15-year period, the median survival time for people with myeloma has nearly doubled, increasing from 2.4 years for those diagnosed in 2005 to 4.5 years for individuals diagnosed in 2019, a new, real-world study in the U.K. has found.
According to the researchers, these improvements in survival reflect advancements in myeloma treatment, underscoring the importance of continued efforts to develop even more effective strategies for treating patients.
“Thanks to research, someone diagnosed with myeloma now has far better prospects than they would have two decades ago. … But we can’t stop here,” Alexandra Smith, PhD, a professor at the University of York in the U.K. and coauthor of the study, said in a university news story.
“Survival for myeloma remains devastatingly low — which is why continued research into new ways to treat the disease, and diagnose it sooner, is so vital,” Smith said.
Importantly, the study found an “uplift in survival seen in over 80-year-olds in the [years] 2017-2019.”
Titled “Doubling in median survival in patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma 2005-2019; a real-world study from the UK’s Haematological Malignancy Research Network,” the study was published as a letter to the editor in the journal Haematologica.
Myeloma is a blood cancer caused by the uncontrolled growth of plasma cells, a type of immune cell. Survival outcomes for myeloma have historically been quite poor, due in large part to a lack of effective treatments.
However, since the turn of the century, there has been an increase in myeloma clinical research, the scientists noted. This, in turn, has led to approvals for numerous new therapies.
“New treatments are kinder, less toxic, and more effective, allowing every patient — including the most vulnerable — to benefit,” Smith said.
UK study shows 15% increase in 5-year myeloma survival rates
To learn more about the effects of these new treatments, Smith and colleagues from the university’s epidemiology and cancer statistics group analyzed data from more than 3,700 people in the U.K. diagnosed with myeloma between 2005 and 2019. These patients had follow-up through 2023.
In addition to the increase in median lifespan, the researchers observed a substantial jump in five-year survival rates, from 31.2% in 2005 to 46.3% in 2019.
[The study findings] show impressive survival improvements over time … confirming that therapeutic advances are benefiting patients not only in clinical trials, but also in the real-world setting.
Improvements in survival were seen even among patients older than 80, the scientists noted — highlighting benefits they said are likely attributable to new treatments having better safety profiles in elderly patients who are often frail.
This finding also “points to the importance of not excluding older and frailer patients from clinical trials, since this group may benefit markedly,” the scientists noted.
Overall, the researchers concluded that their study findings “show impressive survival improvements over time for an unselected registry cohort, confirming that therapeutic advances are benefiting patients not only in clinical trials, but also in the real-world setting.”
Advocate calls for better access to clinical trials for blood cancer patients
Richard Francis, PhD, deputy director of research at the charity Blood Cancer UK, was not involved in this study, but said the results “show that research works.”
“But to keep improving blood cancer survival, we must do whatever it takes,” Francis said.
According to Francis, “it takes world-class blood cancer research, it takes faster access to clinical trials, and it takes an NHS [National Health Service] that can get the best new treatments to patients quickly.”
While human trials “offer real hope, … too often blood cancer patients struggle to access them,” Francis said.
“We urgently need a system that makes it easier for people with blood cancer from all backgrounds to take part as well as more funding for myeloma clinical trials,” Francis said. “Everyone affected by myeloma deserves the best possible chance of survival and we won’t stop until research delivers that future.”
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