Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the characteristics, related therapeutic regimens, risk factors, and prognosis of cardiovascular adverse events (CVAEs) in the current therapy of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) patients in China.
Methods A retrospective observational study was performed on patients with NDMM treated at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, from January 2013 to October 2021. A 1:1 propensity score matching was employed to balance baseline confounders between the therapeutic group and the control group, and differences of CVAE were compared between the corresponding groups. Independent risk factors for CVAEs were identified through Fine-Gray competing risk regression models. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and log-rank tests were used to assess overall survival and progression-free survival of patients.
Results A total of 829 patients with NDMM were analyzed, with a median of 33.1 months of follow-up for survivors. CVAEs occurred in 65 of 829 NDMM patients (7.8%) during first-line treatment, and a total of 74 events were recorded, with 52.7% grade 3 or greater in severity. Arrhythmia (particularly atrial fibrillation), thrombotic events (TEs), and heart failure were the most common types. The median time from treatment to the first occurrence of CVAEs was 26 days, while the medium occurrence time of TEs was later than the other events (76 d vs 19 d, P=0.003). The exposure to immunomodulatory drugs was related to a higher incidence of TEs, whereas other therapeutic regimens, including Bortezomib, didn’t show the effect of cardiovascular toxicity. Results of multivariate analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status >2, symptomatic heart diseases within three months before treatment, and estimated glomerular filtration rate≤50 mL·min−1·(1.73m2)−1 were independent risk factors for CVAEs. Compared with patients without CVAE, patients who experienced CVAEs had significantly inferior progression free survival (P<0.001) and overall survival (P<0.001), and higher cardiovascular mortality.
Conclusions The incidence of CVAE is relatively high during first-line treatment in NDMM patients, and the prognosis of CVAE patients is poor. The risk of CVAE is significantly increased in patients with underlying cardiovascular diseases.