Autologous Stem-Cell Transplantation in Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

Introduction: Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the plasma cells that attacks and destroys bones. Myeloma is the second most common cancer of the blood and accounts for about 12% of diagnosed hematologic cancers. Depending on the patient's condition and age, the treatment of multiple myeloma aims to eliminate the manifestations of the disease, to contain its progression and/or to treat the complications to ensure a better patient's quality of life. The survival rate in multiple myeloma patients is significantly improved through new therapeutic agents such as monoclonal antibodies, immunomodellers, proteasome inhibitors and hematopoietic stem cells transplantation, which is considered as the standard protocol in patients under 65 years old. The objective of this study is to determine the importance of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in improving the survival rate and quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma. Materials and methods: 319 multiple myeloma patients who underwent hematopoietic autologous stem-cell transplantation, were included in this retrospective descriptive and analytical study. Results: multiple myeloma can affect both sexes, the results of our study revealed a male predominance with a percentage of 61%. Dataanalysis shows a significant correlation between the patient's age and the CD 34+ count and a highly significant correlation between cryotherapy and overall survival rate that was about 5 years. Conclusion: through our study, we have confirmed that autologous transplantation strongly contributes to improving the survival rate of myeloma patients. Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation remains the first-line treatment for patients under 65 years of age.