Acupuncture for reduction of symptom burden in multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a randomized sham-controlled trial

Effect of non-pharmacological interventions on symptoms and quality of life in patients with hematological malignancies - A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Non-pharmacological interventions have the potential to enhance health-related quality of life (HRQoL) through symptom management. This systematic review aims to identify, collate, and assess randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on symptoms and HRQoL within hematology.

METHODS

MEDLINE/PUBMED, EMBASE, CINAHL, PSYCINFO and COCHRANE were searched up to April 2021. Outcomes were changes in symptoms and HRQoL.

RESULTS

Sixty-five studies were categorized into five intervention types: Mind/body (n=9), Web-based (n=9), Music/art (n=6), Consultation-based (n=4), and Physical activity (n=37). We found significantly reduced fatigue (n=12 studies), anxiety (n=8) and depression (n=7), with 11 studies showing significant improvements in HRQoL.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence for non-pharmacological interventions shows substantial variation in efficacy and methodological quality. While specific symptoms and HRQoL outcomes significantly favored the intervention, no particular intervention can be emphasized as more favorable, given the inability to conduct a meta-analysis.

Acupuncture in cancer care: recommendations for safe practice (peer-reviewed expert opinion)

BACKGROUND

Up-to-date recommendations for the safe practice of acupuncture in integrative oncology are overdue with new cancer treatments and an increase in survivors with late effects of disease; 17 years have elapsed since Filshie and Hester's 2006 guidelines. During 2022/2023 an expert panel assembled to produce updated recommendations aiming to facilitate safe and appropriate care by acupuncturists working with people with cancer.

METHODS

A core development team comprising three integrative oncology professionals comprehensively updated pre-existing unpublished recommendations. Twelve invited international experts (senior acupuncturists with and without experience of working in oncology settings, oncologists, physicians and nurses trained in integrative oncology, researchers, academics, and professional body representatives) reviewed the recommendations. In multiple iterations, the core team harmonised comments for final ratification. To aid dissemination and uptake the panel represents national and international integrative oncology associations and major cancer treatment centres in Europe, USA, Australia, and the Middle East.

RESULTS

These recommendations facilitate safe care by articulating contra-indications, cautions, and risks for patients both on and off treatment (surgery, SACT, radiotherapy). Situations where acupuncture may be contra-indicated or practices need adapting are identified. "Red and Amber Flags" highlight where urgent referral is essential.

CONCLUSION

These are the first international, multidisciplinary peer-reviewed recommendations for safe acupuncture practice in integrative oncology. Concerns about safety remain a significant barrier to appropriate referral from oncology teams, to use by acupuncturists and to uptake by patients. Disseminating trustworthy, widely accessible guidance should facilitate informed, confident practice of acupuncture in and outside of oncology healthcare settings.

Optimizing high dose melphalan

Melphalan, has been a major component of myeloma therapy since the 1950s. In the context of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), high dose melphalan (HDM) is the most common conditioning regimen used due to its potent anti-myeloma effects and manageable toxicities. Common toxicities associated with HDM include myelosuppression, gastrointestinal issues, and mucositis. Established approaches to reduce these toxicities encompass dose modification, nausea prophylaxis with 5HT3 receptor antagonists, cryotherapy, amifostine use, and growth factors. Optimization of melphalan exposure through personalized dosing and its combination with other agents like busulfan, or bendamustine show promise. Propylene glycol-free melphalan (Evomela) represents a novel formulation aiming to enhance drug stability and reduce adverse effects. This review explores strategies to enhance the efficacy and mitigate the toxicity of HDM in multiple myeloma. Future directions involve exploring these strategies in clinical trials to improve the safety and efficacy of HDM, thereby enhancing outcomes for multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous HCT.

Conceptualizing an Integrative Multiple Myeloma Care: The Role of Nutrition, Supplements, and Complementary Modalities

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is the second most prevalent hematologic malignancy, and its incidence has been increasing enormously in recent years. The prognosis of MM has changed radically with the introduction of new drugs that have improved life expectancy; recurrences are a common occurrence during the course of the disease and are characterized by an increase in refractory to treatment. Moreover, MM patients are challenged by quality of life-related concerns while limited conventional therapy may be offered. This includes bone pain and dialysis due to the complications of acute renal failure. We, therefore, believe that it is very important to add new treatment modalities, including supplements, nutritional modifications, acupuncture, and mind-body therapies, with the goal of improving treatment tolerance, effectiveness, and patients' quality of life. Moreover, many patients use some of these supplements on their own, in the hope of reducing the side effects, so it is even more important to know their action and potential. The purpose of this review is to illustrate all these strategies potentially available to enrich our approach to this, to date, incurable disease.

Bleeding Risk of Acupuncture for Patients with Hematological Malignancies Accompanying Thrombocytopenia: A Retrospective Chart Review

Introduction: In recent years, it has been reported that acupuncture is useful for alleviating the symptoms of patients with hematological malignancies, but the safety of acupuncture for such patients has not been established. This study evaluated the risk of bleeding from acupuncture in patients with hematological malignancies accompanying thrombocytopenia. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective investigation of the medical records of patients with hematological malignancies who received acupuncture during hospitalization at the hematology department of a single medical center in Japan. The bleeding risk at the acupuncture site was evaluated in the following four groups according to the platelet count measured on the day of acupuncture treatment: (1) <20 × 103/μL, (2) 20-49 × 103/μL, (3) 50-99 × 103/μL, and (4) 100 × 103/μL or more. Occurrence of grade 2 or higher bleeding according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 5.0, within 24 h from the acupuncture session or before the next session was defined as an event, and the risk of occurrence of bleeding was examined in each group. Results: Of 2423 acupuncture sessions conducted on 51 patients with hematological malignancies, 815 were included in the analysis. Ninety sessions were performed in the <20 × 103/μL platelet count group, 161 in the 20-49 × 103/μL group, 133 in the 50-99 × 103/μL group, and 431 in the 100 × 103/μL or more group. No bleeding event according to the authors' definition occurred in any of these groups. Conclusions: This study is the largest to date to assess the bleeding risk of acupuncture in patients with hematological malignancies accompanying thrombocytopenia. The authors considered that acupuncture could be safely performed without causing serious bleeding for patients with hematological malignancies accompanying thrombocytopenia.

Acupuncture improves certain aspects of sleep in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients: a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

High-dose chemotherapy followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is associated with a high symptom burden including sleep disturbance. Here we present the results of a secondary analysis of a randomized, sham-controlled trial assessing the effect of acupuncture on sleep quality during HSCT.

METHODS

Adult multiple myeloma patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient autologous HSCT were randomized and blinded to receive either true or sham acupuncture (by licensed acupuncturists) once daily for 5 days starting the day after chemotherapy. Sleep onset, total sleep time, sleep efficiency percentage and sleep-onset latency time were assessed using an actigraphy-based sleep monitor. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to compare the average area-under-the-curve of five acupuncture intervention days for each sleep outcome between groups, adjusted by baseline score and inpatient or outpatient chemotherapy stratum.

RESULTS

Over 32 months, 63 patients were enrolled. Participants undergoing true acupuncture experienced a significant improvement in sleep efficiency when compared to sham (-6.70, 95% CI -13.15, -0.25, p = 0.042). Subgroup analysis showed that the improvement was more prominent in the inpatient setting (-9.62, 95% CI -18.76, -0.47; p = 0.040). True acupuncture tended to improve wake time after sleep onset (WASO; -10.95, p = 0.054). Between-group differences in other sleep related variables were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that true acupuncture may improve certain aspects of sleep, including sleep efficiency and possibly WASO, in multiple myeloma patients undergoing HSCT. By studying patient reported outcomes in future larger scale studies, acupuncture's role in improving sleep quality during HSCT treatment could be further elucidated.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01811862 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Effect and mechanism of acupuncture on endogenous and exogenous stem cells in disease treatment: A therapeutic review

Acupuncture is effective intervention, particularly in nerve, endocrine diseases and immune diseases. The potential mechanisms mediating the effects of acupuncture include anti-inflammatory and oxidative stress, inhibition of cell apoptosis, and stimulation of the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous stem cells. Traditional Chinese medicine combined with stem cell transplantation have a synergistic effect in the treatment of diseases. Increasing studies have found that acupuncture can promote the proliferation, differentiation, homing and survival of exogenous stem cells. This article reviews the mechanism of acupuncture and Chinese herbs on endogenous stem cells and exogenous stem cells in the combined intervention of diverse disorders and the major problems in past 15 years, which will provide a reference for future clinical research.

Acupuncture techniques and acupoints used in individuals under chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment of cancer: A systematic review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To describe the main acupuncture techniques and parameters that have been used in the most varied symptoms of different types of cancer.

BACKGROUND

Clinical evidence about the potential effectiveness of acupuncture and related therapies to control signs and symptoms associated with cancer or its treatment has been in several studies. Currently, there is already evidence of the use of acupuncture for the treatment of nausea and vomiting, fatigue, dry mouth, anxiety, depression, insomnia and pain. However, many studies lack firm rights or reproducible guidelines for treatment.

DESIGN

This study performs a systematic review of clinical trials related to the topic, based on the PRISMA protocol. Thus, a search was carried out in the Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science databases, covering studies since January 2007.

METHODS

Structured and organised according to PICO standards, using keywords ("cancer" OR "malignant tumour" OR "chemotherapy" OR "radiotherapy") AND ("acupuncture" OR "electroacupuncture") AND ("pain" OR "nausea" OR "vomit" OR "fatigue" OR "xerostomia" OR "insomnia" OR "depression" OR "neuropathy").

RESULTS

After the selection and evaluation phase, 23 studies were included and analysed.

CONCLUSION

Based on this analysis, it is concluded that acupuncture is safe and there is evidence of the reduction of gastrointestinal symptoms, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, pain, dry mouth, fatigue, insomnia, and improvement of cognitive capacity.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Acupuncture treatments could act by minimising the side effects of conventional treatments and reducing symptoms induced by tumours.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

The patients had no direct involvement with the study in question.

Bibliometric Analysis of Acupuncture Therapy for Cancer Pain Over the Past 10 Years

Purpose

Cancer pain is a common symptom of cancer patients and greatly affects quality of life. Acupuncture has certain curative effects on cancer pain. The aim of this study was to analyze and visualize the current status and research trend of acupuncture treatment for cancer pain over the last 10 years and provide directions for future development.

Methods

A search of the Web of Science Core Collection from 2012-01-01 to 2022-08-20 was performed to collect studies related to acupuncture therapy for cancer pain. CiteSpace was used to conduct bibliometric analysis and visualization from the perspective of the volume of annual publications, journals, nations, institutions, authors, keywords, and references.

Results

A total of 302 studies were included in the analysis. The number of publications increased steadily with some fluctuations over the past decade. Integrative Cancer Therapies was the journal with the most relevant publications, and the Journal of Clinical Oncology was the most frequently cited journal. China had the highest volume of publications, and the USA contributed most to international collaboration. The most prolific institution was Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The most productive author was Mao JJ, and the most influential author was Lu WD. "Acupuncture" was the top keyword in frequency and centrality. The references with the highest frequency and centrality were published by HE, Y, and Ting Bao, respectively.

Conclusion

A stable development trend has formed in this field. The overall collaborative network needs to be strengthened. Breast cancer and multiple myeloma, electroacupuncture and bee venom acupuncture, postoperative pain, peripheral neuropathic pain syndrome, and aromatase inhibitors-associated arthralgia syndrome are research hotspots in this field. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), evidence-based evaluations and mechanisms (cancer-induced bone pain) are research trends and frontiers.

Acupuncture in hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic cell transplantation

Acupuncture is an integrative medicine modality that has been used historically and studied recently for managing various symptoms and diseases. Patients with hematological malignancies often experience a high symptom burden including pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and insomnia. Pharmacological interventions are the mainstay of managing these symptoms, although they may not provide adequate control or are not well tolerated due to side effects. There have been many randomized controlled trials of acupuncture on reduction of these symptoms. In this review, we will summarize the current evidence on the effect of acupuncture on the management of common symptoms experienced by patients with hematological malignancies and the current understanding of acupuncture's mechanism of action. The evidence is the strongest for reducing pain and nausea vomiting, less strong for symptoms such as peripheral neuropathy, fatigue, constipation, insomnia, night sweat, and pruritus.

Safety and Acceptance of Acupuncture and Acupressure in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant

BACKGROUND

Hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is associated with significant morbidity and high symptom burden including mucositis pain, nausea, and vomiting. There is little documentation in the literature regarding acupuncture or acupressure for children undergoing HSCT.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and acceptance of acupuncture and acupressure in children undergoing HSCT in a large tertiary care children's hospital.

METHODS

This is a descriptive retrospective study that evaluated 80 admissions to the HSCT unit over a 24-month period. Every child admitted for HSCT was offered acupuncture or acupressure as part of their care.

RESULTS

Of 80 patients, 46 were male patients (ages range, 0-32 years; mean, 8 years). Diagnoses include leukemia/lymphoma, sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia, neuroblastoma, and other metabolic, other solid tumor, or other hematologic disorders. Both allogenic and autologous were represented. Sixty-six patients (82.5%) agreed to treatment with acupuncture, acupressure, or both. There were no adverse effects or safety concerns noted. Symptoms addressed by acupuncture or acupressure included pain from mucositis, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, anxiety, insomnia, and general wellness or healing.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that acupuncture and acupressure are well accepted by children and their families admitted for HSCT and are safe even when performed in the first 4 weeks following transplant when the patient is likely to have thrombocytopenia.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

These findings suggest that there may be more therapies for patients undergoing HSCT to help with symptom control.

Safety of acupuncture in oncology: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Acupuncture is frequently used to treat the side effects of cancer treatment, but the safety of this intervention remains uncertain. The current meta-analysis was conducted to assess the safety of acupuncture in oncological patients.

METHODS

The PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus databases were searched from their inception to August 7, 2020. Randomized controlled trials in oncological patients comparing invasive acupuncture with sham acupuncture, treatment as usual (TAU), or any other active control were eligible. Two reviewers independently extracted data on study characteristics and adverse events (AEs). Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

RESULTS

Of 4590 screened articles, 65 were included in the analyses. The authors observed that acupuncture was not associated an with increased risk of intervention-related AEs, nonserious AEs, serious AEs, or dropout because of AEs compared with sham acupuncture and an active control. Compared with TAU, acupuncture was not associated with an increased risk of intervention-related AEs, serious AEs, or drop out because of AEs but was associated with an increased risk for nonserious AEs (odds ratio, 3.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.16-13.35; P = .03). However, the increased risk of nonserious AEs compared with TAU was not robust against selection bias. The meta-analyses may have been biased because of the insufficient reporting of AEs in the original randomized controlled trials.

CONCLUSIONS

The current review indicates that acupuncture is as safe as sham acupuncture and active controls in oncological patients. The authors recommend researchers heed the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) safety and harm extension for reporting to capture the side effects and better investigate the risk profile of acupuncture in oncology.

LAY SUMMARY

According to this analysis, acupuncture is a safe therapy for the treatment of patients with cancer. Acupuncture seems to be safe compared with sham acupuncture and active controls.

Digital Life Coaching During Stem Cell Transplantation: Development and Usability Study

BACKGROUND

For patients with multiple myeloma receiving high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT), acute life disruptions and symptom burden may lead to worsened quality of life (QOL) and increased emotional distress. Digital life coaching (DLC), whereby trained coaches deliver personalized well-being-related support via phone calls and SMS text messaging, has been shown to improve QOL among SCT survivors. However, DLC has not been investigated during the acute peri-SCT period, which is generally characterized by symptomatic exacerbations and 2-week hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVE

We launched a single-arm pilot study to investigate the feasibility of patient engagement with DLC during this intensive period.

METHODS

We approached English-speaking adult patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous SCT at our center. Enrolled patients received 16 weeks of virtual access to a life coach beginning on day -5 before SCT. Coaches used structured frameworks to help patients identify and overcome personal barriers to well-being. Patients chose the coaching topics and preferred communication styles. Our primary endpoint was ongoing DLC engagement, defined as bidirectional conversations occurring at least once every 4 weeks during the study period. Secondary endpoints were electronic patient-reported outcome assessments of QOL, distress, and sleep disturbances.

RESULTS

Of the 20 patients who were screened, 17 (85%) chose to enroll and 15 (75%) underwent SCT as planned. Of these 15 patients (median age 65 years, range 50-81 years), 11 (73%) demonstrated ongoing DLC engagement. The median frequency of bidirectional conversations during the 3-month study period was once every 6.2 days (range 3.9-28 days). During index hospitalizations with median lengths of stay of 16 days (range 14-31 days), the median frequency of conversations was once every 5.3 days (range 2.7-15 days). Electronic patient-reported outcome assessments (94% adherence) demonstrated an expected QOL nadir during the second week after SCT. The prevalence of elevated distress was highest immediately before and after SCT, with 69% of patients exhibiting elevated distress on day -5 and on day +2.

CONCLUSIONS

DLC may be feasible for older patients during intensive hospital-based cancer treatments such as autologous SCT for multiple myeloma. The limitations of our study include small sample size, selection bias among enrolled patients, and heterogeneity in DLC use. Based on the positive results of this pilot study, a larger phase 2 randomized study of DLC during SCT is underway to investigate the efficacy of DLC with regard to patient well-being.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04432818; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04432818.

Benzodiazepine and zolpidem prescriptions during autologous stem cell transplantation

Multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) may receive benzodiazepine or zolpidem-class (B/Z) medications despite their risks in older patients. Of 205 myeloma patients (36% aged 65+) who underwent ASCT at our institution between 2017 and 2018, we found that B/Z prescription rates for anxiety/insomnia rose significantly from 26% before ASCT to 38% at discharge and 39% at Day +100. B/Z initiation while hospitalized was a strong predictor of B/Z persistence at Day +100. Our findings highlight the role of these potentially inappropriate medications during hospitalizations for ASCT, a period where nonpharmacologic strategies for managing anxiety/insomnia may be feasible.

Reduction of Opioid Use by Acupuncture in Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate acupuncture as a nonpharmacologic intervention for pain management in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHODS

Adult patients with multiple myeloma undergoing high-dose melphalan chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood HSCT were randomized to receive either true (TA) or sham acupuncture (SA) once daily for five days starting on the day after chemotherapy. Use of pain medications and pain scores were assessed at baseline and at days 5, 15, and 30 after transplantation.

RESULTS

Among 60 evaluable subjects, the SA group (vs TA) had greater than five times odds of increasing pain medication use from baseline. Among patients who were opioid nonusers at baseline, all 15 patients in the TA group remained free from opioid use at the end of the study. In contrast, 20% of those in the SA group (four of the 20 patients) started to use opioids after chemotherapy and stem cell infusion (day 5) and 40% (eight of the 20) had become opioid users by day 30 after HSCT (Fisher exact test P = 0.006). Among patients who were taking opioids at baseline, 14% in the TA group vs 10% in the SA group increased opioid intake at day 5, and 21% (TA) vs 30% (SA) at day 30 (P = 0.86).

CONCLUSIONS

Acupuncture appears to significantly reduce the need for pain medications during HSCT and the number of post-HSCT opioid users among baseline opioid nonusers. It warrants further studies as an opioid-sparing intervention for pain in HSCT patients.

Acupuncture As a Potential Opioid-Sparing Pain Management Intervention for Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Background: High-symptom burdens, including pain, are associated with high-dose chemotherapy. Objective: We conducted a pilot study to evaluate how acupuncture may affect symptom burden and use of pain medication. Design: This is a randomized sham acupuncture (SA) controlled trial. Setting: An academic cancer center. Patients: Patients were with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Intervention: Once daily acupuncture for 5 days after high-dose chemotherapy. Main Outcome Measures: M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI), opioid use. Results: Compared with SA, true acupuncture reduced nausea, poor appetite, and drowsiness, and use of opioids in opioid-naive patients. Randomizations: Yes. Blinding: Investigators and study participants were blinded. Conclusion: Further study of acupuncture in a larger trial is warranted for its effect on reducing opioid use and symptom burdens during high-dose chemotherapy. Registration: NCT01811862.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Integrative Oncology: Bridging Clinical Care With Research

There is growing interest in the value of routine collection and monitoring of patient-reported outcomes as part of high-quality, patient-centered, oncology care. Integrative oncology, with its focus on providing symptom and lifestyle support for patients throughout the cancer care continuum, serves a diverse patient population with a complex, changing symptom burden. Monitoring of patient-reported outcomes can contribute significantly to the successful comprehensive evaluation and management of patients receiving integrative oncology care. Data collected as part of an integrative oncology evaluation can also support real-world clinical research efforts to help learn more about the effects of integrative oncology interventions on patient symptoms, quality of life, and treatment outcomes.

Collaborative networks and thematic trends of research on the application of complementary and alternative medicine in cancer patients: A bibliometric analysis

BACKGROUND

and purpose: Complementary and Alternative Medicine(CAM) has been greatly used in cancer patients. This research aimed to explore the research priorities of CAM for cancer patient's treatment.

METHODS

Web of Science(WoS), HistCite, BibExcel, GunnMap and VOSviewer were used to extract and visualize information.

RESULTS

2768 articles published in 789 journals were indexed in the WoS from 1989 to 2018. The USA(n = 1009) and Technion-Israel Institute Technology(n = 58) were the most prolific country and institution, respectively. Keywords co-occurrence analysis indicated that the research hotspots around the world formed five clusters, so did the author co-citation analysis. The research priorities of the top-five countries, the top-three prolific authors and the co-citation core authors were also discussed, which reveals the differences and similarities among them.

CONCLUSION

This study delineates a framework for better understanding the situational use of CAM in cancer patients, which could help health care workers to prioritize and organize future research.

Value-Based Care in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy: Challenges and Opportunities

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Improved tolerability and outcomes after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), along with the availability of alternative donors, have expanded its use. With this growth, and the development of additional cellular therapies, we also aim to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and the quality of the care provided. Fundamentally, the goal of value-based care is to have better health outcomes with streamlined processes, improved patient experience, and lower costs for both the patients and the health care system. HCT and cellular therapy treatments are multiphase treatments which allow for interventions at each juncture.

RECENT FINDINGS

We present a summary of the current literature with focus on program structure and overall system capacity, coordination of therapy across providers, standardization across institutions, diversity and disparities in care, patient quality of life, and cost implications. Each of these topics provides challenges and opportunities to improve value-based care for HCT and cellular therapy patients.

Health-Related Quality of Life after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an integral part of the frontline therapy in eligible multiple myeloma (MM) patients. The impact of ASCT on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in myeloma has not been well described. We performed a systematic literature search to identify studies evaluating the impact of ASCT on HRQoL. Our search retrieved 12 relevant studies: 10 manuscripts and 2 conference abstracts. There was a widespread heterogeneity across studies in instruments used to measure HRQoL, time points of measurement, and statistical analysis. Only 1 study was a randomized controlled trial with HRQoL as a prespecified secondary endpoint. The common theme that emerged from most studies is that ASCT leads to an immediate deterioration in HRQoL and increase in symptom burden. However, baseline HRQoL and symptom scores are regained as early as 1 to 2 months post-transplantation. Furthermore, an improvement in HRQoL and pain on long-term follow-up was noted in some studies. We describe opportunities for further research in this area, including routine incorporation of HRQoL as an endpoint in transplant-related clinical trials and need for trials investigating interventions that may improve short and long-term HRQoL in myeloma ASCT recipients.