Impact of Covid-19 in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Who Are Candidates for Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Recent studies have shown an increased risk of covid infections in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) compared to patients withoutMM, a reduction in the number of new diagnoses ofMMin 2020 compared to 2019 as well as a decrease in the survival of newly diagnoses patients. The general objective of this study was to analyze the possible impact of covid-19 pandemic in the treatment plan for patients withMM who are candidates for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Material(s) and Method(s) All patients with MM who received autologous HSCT in our hospital between March 2020 and October 2021 has been included in the study. This period coincides with the beginning of the confinement for covid-19 in our country and the date of which 88,4% of the population over 12 years of age had received the complete vaccination schedule at that time according to official data. Patient demographics, disease-related variables were obtained from the patient's medical record. On the other hand, treatment-related variables were collected from the eprescription program. Results and discussion: A total of 13 patients were undergoing induction treatment or underwent autologous HSCT during the study period, 62% were men. The median age of the patients was 55 years (30-69). Almost all patients (92,3%) were affected in some way the planned treatment. The reasons were the following the induction treatment had to be prolonged in 5 patients (increase in the number of cycles due to the impossibility of performing the HSCT), in 4 patients the induction treatment had to be changed (bortezomib/lenalidomide/dexamethasone for bortezomib/ thalidomide/dexamethasone) due to the impossibility of performing apheresis as planned after the third cycle, 2 patients had delay in starting second-line treatment after disease relapse or in starting consolidation treatment and 1 patient suffered a delay in the diagnosis of relapse (delay in the planned CT scan confirming progression). Conclusion(s) Although we cannot yet know the impact on survival, the covid-19 pandemic has meant an alteration in the treatment plan of practically all myeloma patients who are candidates for HSCT and who were receiving anti-myeloma therapy in our hospital in the first 18 months after the declaration of the pandemic in our country.