Understanding the role and clinical management of bridging therapy during CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma
Hwa YL, Doss D, Mangan PA, et al. J Adv Pract Oncol. 2025:1–9. Epub ahead of print.
Summary. For patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who undergo chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, bridging therapy can be administered while the CAR-T product is being developed to maintain disease control and potentially reduce tumor burden. While research has not demonstrated a significant impact of bridging therapy on outcomes, it is likely that receipt of bridging therapy can allow patients with RRMM to maintain eligibility for CAR-T infusion by preventing further disease progression and significant organ dysfunction. As such, bridging therapy is recommended for patients with rapidly progressing disease, though ultimately the decision should be individualized to each patient. It is recommended that bridging therapy be initiated immediately following leukapheresis. The specific bridging therapy used depends on prior treatment exposure and response, though currently, the use of B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)–targeted bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates is not recommended.
* PMID: 41040921, PMCID: PMC12487982
Patient and caregiver understanding of multiple myeloma: a scoping review
Hunter R, Jenkins V, Fallowfield L, et al. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025;79:102992. Epub ahead of print.
Summary. In this study, researchers reviewed 16 studies to determine patient and caregiver understanding of MM. Disease-related knowledge was moderate, with higher reported knowledge of symptoms and disease understanding and lower reported knowledge of treatments and diagnostic tests. Knowledge of prognosis was considered very or extremely important by most patients and caregivers, and knowing prognosis was reported to aid in informed decision-making. One study showed that patients with access to a nurse specialist had greater confidence in treatment decisions compared to patients without a nurse.
* PMID: 41092523
Analysis of risk factors for major adverse cardiac events in patients with multiple myeloma
Feng Y, Zhou J, Chen S, et al. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025;12:1633543.
Summary. Among 162 patients with newly diagnosed MM (NDMM), 31 (19.14%) experienced major adverse cardiac events (MACE) while on therapy; MACE included heart failure (n=15), acute coronary syndrome (n=12), and malignant arrhythmias (n=4). Progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly reduced in patients with MACE versus patients without MACE (p=0.035). According to multivariable analysis, anthracycline exposure (odds ratio [OR]: 5.850), cigarette smoking (OR: 3.652), International Staging System (ISS) Stage III (OR: 2.593), and age at diagnosis (OR: 1.059 per year) were independent risk factors for MACE.
* PMID: 41143190, PMCID: PMC12549688
Elevated circulating tumor cells reflect high proliferation and genomic complexity in multiple myeloma
Garces JJ, Diamond B, Sevcikova T, et al. Hemasphere. 2025;9(9):e70218.
Summary. Analyzing data from patients with NDMM, researchers observed a strong association between elevated circulating tumor cell (CTC) expression and high-risk disease. Increased CTC expression was associated with high-risk genomic features, such as gain/amp1q and mutations in several tumor suppressor genes. Furthermore, elevated CTC expression was positively correlated with proliferation- and cell cycle–related genes and negatively associated with immune response.
*PMID: 40995465, PMCID: PMC12455875