Dr. Braunstein on Considerations for Stem Cell Transplant Eligibility in Myeloma

Marc J. Braunstein, MD, PhD, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Medicine and co-director of the Autologous Stem Cell Transplant Program at NYU Winthrop Hospital of NYU Langone Health’s Perlmutter Cancer Center, factors to consider when determining whether a patient with multiple myeloma is eligible for stem cell transplant.

It is important to be able to assess a patient not just when first meeting them and making a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, but at every step of their induction therapy to determine how fit they are for stem cell transplant, says Braunstein.

Ultimately, the time at which a patient is assessed for fitness of transplant is when they are first diagnosed and then right before stem cell transplant. Typically, the patient will be referred to a bone marrow transplant specialist, says Braunstein.

Some of the factors to consider when determining a patient’s eligibility for the procedure include: performance status, functional status, response to treatment, whether they achieved a partial remission or a very good partial remission, vital organ function, whether the patient understands the risks and benefits of the procedure, and whether they have a support system to allow them to go through the process, concludes Braunstein.