New 36‑Month Benchmark Redefines High‑Risk Multiple Myeloma

A study of 310 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with modern four‑drug induction therapy followed by autologous stem‑cell transplantation found that disease progression within the first 36 months better identifies those with a poor prognosis than the historic 18‑month threshold. The researchers propose redefining functional high‑risk multiple myeloma to a 36‑month progression cut‑off. Approximately 16 % of patients progressed by three years despite modern therapy, and the authors recommend that these patients receive priority access to novel treatments such as CAR‑T cell therapy and bispecific antibodies, and be included in clinical‑trial cohorts. The findings were published in the journal Cancer, with commentary from Dr. Gayathri Ravi of the University of Alabama at Birmingham noting that “with modern therapy, relapse within 36 months, versus the previous 18‑month definition, can be considered functional high‑risk.”