Abnormal metaphase cytogenetics predicts venous thromboembolism in myeloma: derivation and validation of the PRISM score

Development and Validation of a Predictive Nomogram for Venous Thromboembolism Risk in Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Single-Center Cohort Study in China

Objectives: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant complication in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) that adversely affects morbidity, mortality, and treatment outcomes. This study aimed to develop and validate a predictive nomogram for assessing VTE risk in MM patients using clinicopathological factors. Methods: Clinical data, including 25 candidate risk factors, were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for VTE. The nomogram was constructed using these variables, and its performance was evaluated by plotting receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calculating the area under the curve (AUC), and conducting calibration and decision curve analysis (DCA). Additionally, an online calculator was developed for clinical use. Results: In total, 148 patients (17.5%) developed VTE in this study. The independent risk factors included age, Karnofsky performance status (KPS), anticoagulation therapy, erythropoietin use, and hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (PLT), calcium (Ca), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), and D-dimer levels. The nomogram demonstrated robust discriminative ability, with a C-index of 0.811 in the training cohort and 0.714 in the validation cohort. The calibration curves exhibited a high level of agreement between the predicted and observed probabilities. DCA confirmed the nomogram's clinical utility across various threshold ranges, outperforming the "treat all" and "treat none" strategies. Conclusions: This study successfully developed and validated a nomogram for predicting VTE risk in MM patients, demonstrating substantial predictive accuracy and clinical applicability. The nomogram and accompanying online calculator provide valuable tools for individualized VTE risk assessment and informed clinical decision-making.

Comparative Analysis and Validation of the IMPEDED VTE, IMPEDE VTE, and SAVED Risk Models in Predicting Venous Thromboembolism in Multiple Myeloma Patients: A Retrospective Study in Türkiye

Background: Several thrombotic risk assessment models have been proposed for identifying patients with a high risk of thrombosis (the IMPEDE venous thromboembolism (VTE), SAVED, and PRISM scores) in multiple myeloma (MM). Recently, adding a biomarker (D-dimer) for the IMPEDE VTE score has shown that it can boost the detection power of IMPEDED VTE. However, data from studies comparing these models in MM are scarce. Even real-world data arguing the utility of thrombotic risk assessment models in MM from low- or middle-income countries like Türkiye are lacking. Methods: We aimed to show the possibility of detecting VTE using the IMPEDED VTE score in our cohort by retrospectively screening MM patients. Therefore, we aimed to compare the IMPEDE VTE, SAVED and IMPEDED VTE scoring models. Results: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 455 MM patients from three centers in Bursa, Türkiye, evaluating the incidence of VTE within six months of the treatment. The IMPEDED VTE score showed superior predictive accuracy (c-statistic of 0.701), compared to the IMPEDE VTE (0.618) and SAVED (0.633) scores, demonstrating the added value of D-dimer as a biomarker. The cumulative incidence of VTE in the cohort was 10.7%, comparable to rates observed in real-world studies. Conclusions: Despite the interventions and thrombotic risk assessment models, thrombosis remains a high-risk entity. Personalized risk assessment tools, such as IMPEDED VTE, could be used to manage thrombotic risk in MM patients, particularly in resource-limited settings. Albeit the thromboprophylaxis (51.6%), our findings support the utility of biomarker-enhanced models for better VTE-risk stratification, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Incidence of Venous Thromboembolism and Its Associated Risk Factors in Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially severe medical problem among multiple myeloma (MM) patients, with evolving treatment regimens potentially increasing the thrombotic risk. Data on VTE incidence and risk factors in multiethnic Malaysian MM patients are limited. This study aimed to assess VTE incidence and risk factors in newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients at two tertiary centres in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included NDMM patients, aged ≥18, diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2022 at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz and Hospital Ampang. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, MM therapies, and thromboprophylaxis data were analysed. VTE is defined as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), confirmed by imaging. Results: Among the 216 NDMM patients (mean age: 62.4 ± 10.6 years), 22 (10.2%) developed VTE (15 DVT, five PE, and two both). The median time from MM diagnosis to VTE was 3.5 months (IQR 5.3). A univariate analysis identified the female sex, an ECOG performance status ≥ 2, diabetes mellitus, a recent orthopaedic surgery (<6 months), a SAVED score ≥ 2, and an IMPEDE-VTE score > 3 as significant risk factors. In the multivariable logistic regression, the female sex (aOR 8.56, 95% CI: 1.95-37.48), an ECOG status ≥ 2 (aOR 12.74, 95% CI: 3.37-48.17), and a recent orthopaedic surgery (aOR 21.79, 95% CI: 3.10-153.38) were the independent risk factors of VTE among NDMM patients. Conclusions: VTE incidence in our NDMM cohort was 10.2%. Independent risk factors included the female sex, a poor performance status, and a recent orthopaedic surgery. Individualised thromboprophylaxis strategies are crucial, warranting further real-world studies to optimise anticoagulation regimens.

Supportive care in myeloma-when treating the clone alone is not enough

The overall survival in patients with multiple myeloma has increased over recent decades. This trend is anticipated to further advance with the emergence of T-cell-redirecting therapies, including chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy and T-cell-engaging bispecific antibodies. Despite these therapeutic improvements, treatment-related adverse events impede quality of life. This underscores the imperative of optimizing supportive care strategies to maximize treatment outcomes. Such optimization is crucial not only for patient well-being but also for treatment adherence, which may translate into long-term disease control. We here describe a) how to prevent bone disease, b) a risk-adapted thrombosis prophylaxis approach, c) the management of on-target, off-tumor toxicity of G-protein-coupled receptor class C group 5 member D-targeting T-cell-redirecting therapies, and d) infectious prophylaxis, with a focus on infections during T-cell-redirecting therapies.

Thromboprophylaxis in multiple myeloma: a case-based review with practical guidelines

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) poses a significant challenge in the context of multiple myeloma, with an incidence of up to 10% in newly diagnosed patients and varying frequency in the relapsed/refractory setting. Accurate VTE risk assessment and personalized thromboprophylaxis strategies are important parts of supportive care in myeloma. There are three validated risk assessment models for prediction of VTE risk in newly diagnosed myeloma-SAVED, IMPEDE-VTE, and PRISM. In this review, we delve into the practical applications of VTE risk prediction models in the context of current therapies. By emphasizing the necessity of a tailored approach, we underscore the importance of considering patient-specific, disease-specific, and treatment-specific risk factors in each clinical scenario, and using that data to complement the output from risk assessment models. We also provide a summary of currently available data on VTE thromboprophylaxis in myeloma, and highlight specific situations where direct oral anticoagulants should be strongly considered. Our objective is to fill the critical gaps in VTE prophylaxis and management through the analysis of specific patient cases and provide a practical overview for clinicians.

Multiple myeloma: retrospective assessment of routine thromboprophylaxis and utility of thrombotic risk scores

Background

The high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in multiple myeloma (MM) warrants primary thromboprophylaxis for most patients. Myeloma-specific thrombotic risk scores (TRSs), such as IMPEDE-VTE, SAVED, and PRISM, were developed to improve risk assessment and guide antithrombotic strategies. Their performance is variable and has not yet been tested in Latin America.

Objectives

We aimed to assess the use of primary thromboprophylaxis, the incidence of VTE and bleeding events, and the effectiveness of TRSs in patients with newly diagnosed MM.

Methods

This was a retrospective, single-center study. Cumulative VTE rates and TRS performance were analyzed using survival and receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results

The study included 250 newly diagnosed MM patients; the vast majority (98.6%) received aspirin as thromboprophylaxis. VTE occurred in 8% within the initial 6 months, increasing to 14.8% over a median follow-up of 19 months. High rates of major bleeding (4.8%) and clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding (4.4%) events were documented. A minimal proportion (0.8%, 0.5%, and 1.2%) of patients were classified as low risk by IMPEDE-VTE, PRISM, and SAVED scores, respectively. Only IMPEDE-VTE exhibited a trend for distinguishing between intermediate-risk (7.14%) and high-risk (13.2%) groups (P = .09). PRISM and SAVED scores showed limited utility. VTE did not impact survival.

Conclusion

Aspirin as primary thromboprophylaxis carries an unacceptable risk of VTE and bleeding in patients at intermediate or high thrombotic risk. The IMPEDE-VTE score performed best, although without reaching statistical significance. We confirm that VTE does not portend poor overall survival in MM.

Reporting of adverse events of treatment interventions in multiple myeloma: an overview of systematic reviews

The present study is an overview of systematic reviews focusing on adverse events of antimyeloma treatments. It provides a systematic description of adverse events as they are reported in the systematic reviews as well as a critical appraisal of included reviews. We conducted a comprehensive literature search in the most widely used electronic databases looking for systematic reviews that had an adverse event of an antimyeloma treatment intervention as primary outcome. Two independent reviewers conducted selection of included studies and data extraction on predesigned online forms and assessed study quality using AMSTAR 2. Overall corrected covered area (CCA) was calculated to examine the overlap of primary studies across systematic reviews. After screening eligible studies, 23 systematic reviews were included in this overview. Seven reviews with overall CCA of 14.7% examined cardiovascular adverse events of different drugs, including immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors (mainly carfilzomib). Nine focused on infections, presenting with overall CCA of 5.8%, each one focused on a different drug or drug class. Three studied thromboembolism in patients treated either with lenalidomide, any immunomodulatory drug, or with daratumumab and had an overall CCA equal to 1.5%. Four more reviews focused on bortezomib-associated neurotoxicity, carfilzomib-associated renal toxicity, or second primary malignancies as an adverse event of lenalidomide or anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody treatment. The quality of included studies as judged by AMSTAR 2 was mostly critically low. Absence of a priori registered protocol and formal assessment of risk of bias of included primary studies were the most common shortcomings. Reporting of antimyeloma drug-associated toxicity is supported by multiple systematic reviews; nevertheless, methodological quality of existing reviews is mostly low.

Cancer-associated venous thrombosis in adults (second edition): A British Society for Haematology Guideline

A shared decision on the most appropriate agent for the treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis should consider the following factors, which should be reassessed as patients continue along their cancer care pathway: risk of bleeding; tumour site; suitability of oral medications; potential for drug-drug interactions; and patient preference and values regarding choice of drug. Continuing anticoagulation beyond 6 months in patients with cancer-associated venous thromboembolism and active cancer is recommended.

Advances and current research in primary thromboprophylaxis to prevent hospital-associated venous thromboembolism

Hospital-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE) is defined as any case of VTE occurring during hospital admission and for up to 90 days post discharge. It accounts for over 50% of all cases of VTE internationally; indeed, there are an estimated 10 million cases of hospital-associated VTE annually. Over the last decade, there has been increasing interest in improving VTE risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis. This review summarises all the recent and ongoing major research studies and future challenges in the different areas, including medical, surgical and obstetric patients, as well as special areas such as lower limb immobilisation. We include sections on both pharmacological and mechanical thromboprophylaxis.

Bleeding risk from anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis in patients with multiple myeloma: a MarketScan analysis

Background

Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Anticoagulant prophylaxis is frequently recommended but underutilized partly due to the absence of studies assessing bleeding risk.

Objectives

To determine the rate of severe (hospitalized) bleeding from thromboprophylaxis in patients treated for MM and identify clinical risk factors for bleeding in this population.

Methods

Using the MarketScan database, we analyzed 6656 patients treated for MM between 2013 and 2021. Concomitant thromboprophylaxis was defined using prescription claims. Hospitalized bleeding was identified through the Cunningham algorithm. Bleeding rates were compared by thromboprophylaxis status, and Cox regression identified risk factors for bleeding.

Results

Anticoagulant thromboprophylaxis was used in 6.6% (436) patients treated for MM. Patients on thromboprophylaxis had a higher rate of immunomodulatory-based therapy (63.8% vs 46.7%; P < .01) and lower rate of antiplatelet use (2.1% vs 4.7%; P < .01). Bleeding occurred in 1.4% of them during median follow-up of 1.3 years. Rate of severe bleeding was not different between those on prophylaxis (7.8 per 1000 person-years) and those not on prophylaxis (10.1 per 1000 person-years). No association was identified between thromboprophylaxis and bleeding. Factors associated with increased bleeding included age (hazard ratio [HR], 1.38 per 10 years increase in age), comorbidity index (HR, 1.18 per SD increase), history of bleeding (HR, 1.54), hypertension (HR, 1.87), and renal disease (HR, 1.56).

Conclusion

Risk of serious bleeding from thromboprophylaxis in patients treated for MM was low, and concomitant anticoagulant therapy did not result in increased bleeding risk. Clinical risk factors for bleeding included age, comorbidity index, bleeding history, hypertension, and renal disease.

Cancer-associated thrombosis in hematologic malignancies

Patients with hematologic malignancies are often complicated not only by severe bleeding due to thrombocytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation but also by thromboembolic events, just like in patients with solid cancers, and these events can negatively impact patient outcomes. Nevertheless, the prevention and treatment of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) in hematologic malignancies has not been adequately investigated due to the limited size, heterogeneity, and unique pathophysiology of the patient population. This article summarizes the current understanding, risk factors, prediction models, and optimal prevention and treatment strategies of CAT in hematologic malignancies on a disease-by-disease basis, including acute leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. Specific considerations of novel molecular targeted therapeutics introduced in recent years, such as immunomodulatory drugs and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, are also discussed based on the latest clinical trials.

Validation of the IMPEDE VTE score for prediction of venous thromboembolism in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma: A single-center retrospective cohort study

Multiple myeloma (MM) significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within 6 months of treatment initiation. The IMPEDE VTE score is a VTE risk prediction model which is recently incorporated into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines, but it lacks validation among Asians, including Chinese MM patients. We performed a retrospective chart review of 405 Chinese with newly diagnosed MM who started therapy at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital between April 2013 to October 2022. The 6-month cumulative incidence of VTE was 3.8 % (95 % CI:1.6-7.6), 8.6 % (95 % CI: 5.3-21.9) and 40.5 % (95 % CI: 24.9-55.7) in the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups (P < 0.001), respectively. The C-statistic of the IMPEDE VTE scores for predicting VTE within 6 months of treatment initiation was 0.74 (95 % CI: 0.65-0.83). Of note, in this single-center cohort study, we propose that the anticoagulant LMWH may be more effective than the antiplatelet aspirin in potentially preventing VTE in newly diagnosed MM patients. Our findings suggest that the IMPEDE VTE score is a valid evidence-based risk stratification tool in Chinese patients with newly diagnosed MM.

Venous thromboembolism prophylaxis and multiple myeloma patients in real-life: Results of a large survey and clinical guidance recommendations from the IFM group

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a critical issue in the management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), particularly when immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) combined with dexamethasone therapy are being prescribed as first-line and relapse therapy. One possible explanation for the persistent high rates of VTE, is the use of inappropriate thromboprophylaxis strategies for patients starting antimyeloma treatment. To tackle the issue, the Intergroupe francophone du myélome (IFM) offered convenient guidance for VTE thromboprophylaxis in MM patients initiating systemic therapy. This guidance is mainly supported by the results of a large survey on the clinical habits regarding VTE of physicians who are substantially involved in daily care of MM patients. VTE prophylaxis should be considered for all patients treated with IMiDs in combination with dexamethasone, in the absence of significant comorbidities, such as renal failure or bleeding risk. Anticoagulant should be preferred to antiplatelet agents for thromboprophylaxis. Despite the absence of large randomized controlled trials comparing those attitudes/options, available data on direct oral anticoagulants, which are already used in daily management of MM patients, are consistent with their potential usefulness for VTE prophylaxis in such patients. However, in order to implement a personalized continuous improvement strategy, clinicians must to be organized to collect all the data regarding this management. In other situations, thromboprophylaxis should be evaluated by using risk models and after careful evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio.

Thrombosis in multiple myeloma: mechanisms, risk assessment and management

Multiple myeloma (MM) is associated with an increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. Pathophysiologic mechanisms include patient, disease and treatment related factors. Risk assessment models have been developed to determine whichpatients are at highest thrombotic risk and pursuant to this, risk adapted thrombosis prophylaxis has been suggested. Areas in which further basic and clinical research is imperative include the molecular and cellular mechanisms of thrombosis in myeloma, the inclusion of relevant biomarkers in risk assessment scores and controlled clinical trials of VTE prophylaxis and treatment using direct oral anticoagulants.

Bleeding and Thrombosis in Multiple Myeloma: Platelets as Key Players during Cell Interactions and Potential Use as Drug Delivery Systems

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematological malignancy originated in the bone marrow and characterized by unhindered plasma cell proliferation that results in several clinical manifestations. Although the main role of blood platelets lies in hemostasis and thrombosis, platelets also play a pivotal role in a number of other pathological conditions. Platelets are the less-explored components from the tumor microenvironment in MM. Although some studies have recently revealed that MM cells have the ability to activate platelets even in the premalignant stage, this phenomenon has not been widely investigated in MM. Moreover, thrombocytopenia, along with bleeding, is commonly observed in those patients. In this review, we discuss the hemostatic disturbances observed in MM patients and the dynamic interaction between platelets and myeloma cells, along with present and future potential avenues for the use of platelets for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

D-dimer predicts venous thromboembolism in multiple myeloma: a nested case-control study

Background

Clinical risk assessment scores, such as IMPEDE VTE, can identify patients with multiple myeloma (MM) at high-risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Refinement of these scores, by including 1 or more biomarkers, could improve risk assessment.

Objectives

We sought to determine the association between soluble P-selectin (sP-selectin) and D-dimer with VTE in MM.

Methods

We identified 545 patients with newly diagnosed MM. Using a nested case-control design, we identified 38 cases of VTE within 6-months of MM treatment and 137 randomly selected controls. Using logistic regression, we examined the association between D-dimer and sP-selectin with VTE. We also analyzed the association after adjusting for IMPEDE VTE.

Results

Each 1-point increase in IMPEDE VTE score was associated with a 27% increase in odds of VTE (odds ratio 1.27; 95% CI 1.08-1.51; c-statistic 0.61; 95% CI 0.51-0.71). There was no association between sP-selectin and VTE. Each one increase in natural log of D-dimer was associated with a 44% increase in odds of VTE, so we assigned points (ranging from -2 to +2) to D-dimer values and incorporated them into IMPEDE VTE, forming IMPEDED VTE. There was a 30% increase in odds of VTE per each 1-point increase in IMPEDED VTE (OR 1.30; 95% CI 1.12-1.52; c-statistic 0.65; 95% CI 0.55-0.75).

Conclusion

Among patients with newly diagnosed MM starting chemotherapy, D-dimer was associated with increased odds of developing VTE within the subsequent 6-months. The addition of D-dimer to IMPEDE VTE-IMPEDED VTE-could improve prediction of VTE among patients with MM.

Monoclonal Gammopathy of Thrombotic Significance

The current review provides an overview of the thrombotic risk observed in patients with MG who do not otherwise require treatment. We discuss clinical and biomarker studies that highlight the heterogenous hemostatic profile observed in these patients and how knowledge has evolved over the past 20 years. Biomarker studies suggest shared biologic features between multiple myeloma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), which involves both hypercoagulability and platelet activation. Hemostatic abnormalities identified in MGUS patients cannot be translated into clinical practice as they lack correlation to clinical events. The prothrombotic phenotype of MGUS patients has not been ascertained yet, but novel data on coagulation markers are promising. We also review rare conditions associated with the thrombogenic properties of the monoclonal protein that predispose to arterial, venous or microthrombotic events and demonstrate that the M-protein can be linked to clinically significant thrombotic events. Cryoglobulinemia, cryofibrinogenemia, cryo-crystaloglobulinemia and MG-related antiphospholipid syndrome are reviewed. We propose the new umbrella term "monoclonal gammopathy of thrombotic significance" (MGTS) to refer to significant, recurrent thrombotic events in patients with MGUS that provide a rationale for targeting the underlying plasma cell clone. Identifying MGUS patients at high risk for thrombotic events is currently a challenge.

External validation of the SAVED score for venous thromboembolism risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma receiving immunomodulatory drugs

Selective patients with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving immunomodulatory drugs (IMiD) are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). The SAVED score is a VTE risk prediction model recently incorporated into the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. Using retrospective data from 501 MM patients with new IMiD initiation between 2010 and 2019, we performed the first independent external validation of this model. The cumulative incidence of VTE after IMiD initiation at 6 and 12 months was 32% and 42% in the high-risk group, versus 6% and 9% in the low-risk group respectively. The C-statistic of the SAVED score to predict VTE within 12 months of IMiD-based treatment start was 0.74 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69-0.78], which outperformed several other VTE risk models in MM patients. Our findings suggest that the SAVED score is an accurate risk assessment tool for VTE stratification in patients initiating IMiD-containing regimens.

Vascular thrombotic events in the era of modern myeloma therapy

The treatment landscape in multiple myeloma (MM) has changed drastically in the past two decades with new treatment paradigms evolving. In this issue Sborov et al. provide the first study investigating the frequency, severity, onset of vascular thrombotic events (VTEs) and use of prophylactic therapies in a trial applying a contemporary myeloma treatment protocol and highlight that prevention of VTEs needs to be revisited in the era of modern myeloma treatment.