Risk of cancer-specific death among octogenarians with multiple myeloma: A population-based analysis

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells in the bone marrow with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years [ [1] Rajkumar S.V. Multiple myeloma: 2020 update on diagnosis, risk-stratification and management. Am J Hematol. 2020 May; 95: 548-567 Crossref PubMed Scopus (440) Google Scholar , [2] Mina R. Bringhen S. Wildes T.M. Zweegman S. Rosko A.E. Approach to the older adult with multiple myeloma. Am Soc Clin Oncol Educ Book. 2019 Jan; 39: 500-518 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ]. With an aging population, the proportion of patients diagnosed at the age of ≥80 years is expected to increase over the next decade. Optimizing outcomes in octogenarian patients remains challenging due to the lack of data in this age group, including among clinical trials, which have historically excluded them due to frailty, comorbidities, or the restrictive nature of trials' inclusion and exclusion criteria [ [3] Duma N. Azam T. Riaz I.B. Gonzalez-Velez M. Ailawadhi S. Go R. Representation of minorities and elderly patients in multiple myeloma clinical trials. Oncologist. 2018 Sep; 23: 1076-1078 Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar ]. Understanding the outcomes of this unique subgroup of patients in the real world may inform treatment strategies and shared decision-making for future optimization of outcomes.