Dr. Giralt on Transplant Eligibility Criteria in Multiple Myeloma

Sergio A. Giralt, MD, professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, and chief, Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Service, Melvin Berlin Family Chair in Multiple Myeloma, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses transplant eligibility criteria in multiple myeloma.

A patient’s performance status and comorbidities should be evaluated to determine whether they are a candidate for transplant, says Giralt. If eligible, patients over the age of 75 may also undergo a geriatric assessment to determine what type of transplant they are best suited to receive. Age is one factor that should not impact the decision, adds Giralt.

There is a belief that patients in renal failure on dialysis should not undergo transplant. However, studies have demonstrated that patients on dialysis can receive high-dose melphalan safely, enabling them to undergo transplant. Furthermore, some patients are able to subsequently recover kidney function and come off dialysis, concludes Giralt.