A Single-Center Study on Frontline Treatment for Multiple Myeloma Patients With 1q Abnormalities

Introduction

Chromosome 1q copy gains (with-1q-gain) is a frequently observed genetic abnormality in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Recent research has demonstrated that 1q gain is a prognostic factor, linked to poorer clinical outcomes.

Methods

This study was conducted at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre to examine the clinical outcomes of newly diagnosed MM patients’ with-1q-gain or without-1q-gain abnormality. The study included 275 patients, with 161 (58.5%) with-1q-gain abnormality. The median follow-up time for the cohort was 94.3 months (95% CI 30.1–38.6).

Results

The patients’ with-1q-gain when compared to without-1q-gain were more likely to have other high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (34.8% vs. 14.0%, p < 0.001) and more advanced disease according to the International Staging System (ISS III, p < 0.014). Furthermore, a relatively higher proportion of with-1q-gain patients received tandem autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) as frontline therapy (36.2% vs. 8.7%, p ≤ 0.001).

To assess the impact of 1q copy number, patients with 3 copies of 1q (1q-gain3) were compared to those with ≥4 copies (1q-Amp). No significant differences were observed between the two groups.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study provides insight into the clinical significance of 1q gain abnormality in MM patients at a single center, and highlights its association with adverse prognostic features and treatment outcomes.