Dr. Michele Cavo on ASCT Role in Novel-Agent Era of Multiple Myeloma

Michele Cavo, MD, professor, Seràgnoli Institute of Hematology, Bologna University School of Medicine, discusses the role of upfront autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in multiple myeloma.

There is a high level of activity of novel agents introduced into the therapeutic armamentarium for multiple myeloma, which have led to increased rates of complete responses that rival what has been seen with conventional chemotherapy and ASCT, said Cavo.

However, the phase III EMN02/HO95 MM trial compared the efficacy of upfront ASCT versus novel agent-based therapy for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma and found an improvement in progression-free survival with ASCT.

This shows that even in the novel-agent era, ASCT should still be the standard of care for newly diagnosed, young, fit patients, said Cavo.