In a nutshell
This study aimed to investigate the effect of idecabtagene vicleucel (ABECMA; ide-cel) treatment on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in patients with relapsed or refractory (r/r) multiple myeloma (MM).
This study concluded that this treatment improves HR-QoL for these patients.
Some background
Ide-cel is a type of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy. CAR-T cell therapy takes the patient's own T cells (a type of immune cells), it modifies them genetically in the lab to attack cancer cells. Ide-cel has been shown to improve the outcomes of patients with r/r MM. However, what is the effect of ide-cel on the HR-QoL in these patients is still unknown.
Methods & findings
This study involved 126 patients with r/r MM treated with ide-cel. HRQoL was measured using patient questionnaires.
By month 1, improvements in pain and disease symptoms were observed. By month 2, improvements in fatigue, physical functioning, cognitive (thinking processes) functioning, and global health status were observed.
Improvements in fatigue, pain and physical functioning were most important at 9, 12, and 18 months and were sustained through 15 to 18 months after ide-cel treatment.
The bottom line
This study concluded that ide-cel treatment improved HR-QoL for patients with r/r MM.
The fine print
This study was based on patient questionnaires, which is not the most reliable method. It did not take into account the side effects of treatment.
Published By :
Blood advances
Date :
Dec 21, 2021
