Advances in diagnosis and treatment of patients with plasma cell myeloma

Abstract

During nearly two decades there has been continuous progress in the therapy of plasma cell myeloma resulting in significant prolongation of patients’ overall survival. Since 2010 the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy regimens including immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors have been further optimized based on the results of numerous, large phase 3 randomized clinical trials. Moreover, intensive efforts have been made to identify novel molecular drug targets to individualize treatment and overcome resistance to existing therapies. Currently, the most promising therapeutic strategy is immunotherapy, especially development of monoclonal antibodies against CD38 antigen.