Impact of maintenance therapy on survival after autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma regardless of response: a global analysis

Haematologica. 2026 Sep 17. doi: 10.3324/haematol.2026.301244. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

The effect of different maintenance therapies on outcome after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (AHCT) was analyzed in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients using global real-world data. NDMM patients transplanted between 2013 and 2017 were selected from the Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) registry. Overall survival (OS) was evaluated as primary and progression-free survival (PFS), non-relapse mortality and relapse/progression incidence as secondary endpoints. Multivariable 6- month landmark analyses were performed using Cox proportional hazards models including random effect for country. Information was available on 8,269 patients with lenalidomide (n=4,148; 50.2%), thalidomide (n=689; 8.3%) or bortezomib (n=726; 8.8%) as maintenance or no maintenance (n=2,706; 32.7%). In the 6-month landmark analysis, OS at 3 years was higher after maintenance with lenalidomide (86%), with thalidomide (80%) and with bortezomib (83%) as compared to no maintenance (79%, p.

PMID:42750490 | DOI:10.3324/haematol.2026.301244