Sociodemographic, Clinical, and Therapeutic Characterization of Multiple Myeloma Patients (CharisMMa Study) with Symptomatic Relapse and/or Refractory Disease: An Observational, Multicenter Study in Portugal
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: OBJECTIVES: Real-world information on relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (rrMM) clinical management in Portugal is scarce. The CharisMMa Portugal study aimed to characterize rrMM patients through socio-demographic and clinical parameters and describe treatment patterns. METHODS: This was an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study with 62 rrMM patients routinely treated at seven hospitals in Portugal. Data were collected from medical records during clinical appointments (2020-2022) after written informed consent was obtained (ClincialTrials.gov ID-NCT04135963). Patients who were diagnosed with a symptomatic MM episode in the 6 months prior to study initiation and who received treatment before their last relapse episode were enrolled. RESULTS: Most patients were male (54.8%) and living with relatives (90.3%), and almost 50% were independent. Roughly 70% of patients were classified as Revised MM International Staging System (R-ISS) Stage II at diagnosis, with a mean age of 65.76 (±9.24) years old. Most common SliM-CRAB (SLIM: sixty percent or more clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow (S), light chain ratio ≥100 (Li), and MRI-detected focal lesions (M); CRAB: hypercalcemia (C), renal insufficiency (R), anemia (A), and bone lesions (B)) signs were bone lesions (59%), and 62.9% of the patients had at least one comorbidity. At study initiation, 70.5% of patients were on second-line treatment, with monoclonal antibodies and proteasome inhibitors (PIs) + immunomodulators (IMiDs) as leading agents. Triplet regimens were the most common across all lines, while oral and oral + subcutaneous were the most prevalent routes of administration. CONCLUSIONS: Triple treatment combinations are common in rrMM management, with PIs and IMiDs frequently used, especially in first-line settings. The use of oral formulation is substantial, suggesting a step toward more patient-centric options. This characterization underscores the complexity of rrMM management and should inform stakeholders of strategies to standardize patient care across reference centers in Portugal.
Source: Hematology Reports
Authors: Rui Bergantim, José Guilherme Freitas, Cristina Gonçalves, Helena Martins, Herlander Marques, Henrique Coelho, Patrícia Seabra, Adriana Roque, Márcio Tavares, Pedro Pinto, Ana Rita Francisco, Joana Tato, Catarina Geraldes
Institutions: Universidade do Porto, Hospital de São João, i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, IPO Porto, Hospital de Santo António, Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António EPE, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Albel Salazar, University of Lisbon, Hospital de Santa Maria, Unidade Local de Saúde Santa Maria, Centre for Health Technology and Services Research, Hospital Braga, Clinical Academic Center of Braga, Unidade Local de Saúde de Braga, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia/Espinho, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, University of Coimbra, Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia, Takeda (Portugal), Centro de Investigação em Meio Ambiente Genética e Oncobiologia, Centro de Inovação em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,930
OpenAlex ID: W7161646392