Introduction Minimal residual disease (MRD) testing is the strongest prognostic metric for multiple myeloma (MM). By detecting even the smallest traces of disease, MRD offers a highly sensitive measure of treatment response and even goes beyond traditional remission criteria. Clinicians are now wondering how MRD can help shape clinical decision making in MM, especially [...]
Introduction Multiple myeloma is cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found mainly in the bone marrow. Normal plasma cells are responsible for producing a mixture of many types of antibodies to protect your body against infections. In multiple myeloma, the abnormal plasma cells multiply uncontrollably and produce large [...]
Introduction Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that forms in plasma cells. Plasma cells, also known as plasmacytes, are a type of white blood cell located in the bone marrow that produce antibodies to fight infections. While the general diagnosis is known as "multiple myeloma", it actually comes in various [...]
Introduction Once initial treatment of multiple myeloma is complete, maintenance therapy, often involving lenalidomide or proteasome inhibitors, is the standard of care. However, maintenance therapy can cause a number of negative side effects, such as toxicity, thereby reducing quality of life. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a key predictor of outcomes in [...]
Introduction In April 2024, the U.S. FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) unanimously (12–0) voted to accept minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity as a primary endpoint in multiple myeloma (MM) clinical trials seeking accelerated approval. This marks a regulatory shift, aiming to speed up the availability of new treatments. The decision stems [...]
Introduction Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a critical prognostic indicator in multiple myeloma, typically assessed using invasive bone marrow-based assays. However, these methods have shown limited success when applied to blood. Next-generation flow (NGF) is mainly useful in patients with high levels of circulating disease, which is a phenomenon that has been [...]
Introduction As detection technology and therapeutics have improved, minimal residual disease (MRD) has become a pivotal prognostic marker in multiple myeloma (MM), particularly for predicting progression free and overall survival. In 2024, the FDA consensus is that MRD negativity can be used as a clinical trial endpoint. This shift is driving innovation [...]