Clin Lymphoma Myeloma Leuk 2015 Feb;15(2):98-102

Serum free light chain response after 2 courses of induction chemotherapy predicts prognosis in myeloma patients.

Yağcı M1, Karakaya F2, Suyanı E2, Haznedar R2.
The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic effect of serum free light chain (sFLC) response after 2 cycles of first-line chemotherapy (CT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.
l="BACKGROUND" NlmCategory="BACKGROUND">The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic effect of serum free light chain (sFLC) response after 2 cycles of first-line chemotherapy (CT) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The data of 78 newly diagnosed MM patients who had sFLC levels at diagnosis and after 2 cycles of first-line CT were included in the study. The prognostic effect of sFLCs were evaluated with normalization of sFLC κ/λ ratio after 2 cycles of CT and involved/uninvolved (i/u) sFLCs.

RESULTS:

At the end of follow-up the probability of overall survival (OS) was 95.7% versus 68.5% in patients with and without normalized sFLC κ/λ ratio, respectively (P = .072). The probability of OS with i/u sFLC assessment was 97.4% versus 55.8% with regard to i/u sFLC ≤ 10 and > 10, respectively (P = .001). In univariate and multivariate analysis including sFLC ratio, age, sex, and International Staging System, i/u sFLC ratio > 10 after 2 cycles of CT was identified as an independent risk factor for OS (P = .015; hazard ratio [HR], 13.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.668-104.65 vs. P = .011; HR, 15.17; 95% CI, 1.85-123.89).

CONCLUSION:

Early response assessment in terms of sFLC after 2 courses of induction CT seems to have a prognostic effect in MM patients. The methodology and timing of the evaluation based on sFLCs needs to be validated in prospective studies.