Measurable residual disease (MRD) assessed by mass spectrometry (MS) in peripheral blood versus next generation sequencing (NGS) in bone marrow in multiple myeloma treated on phase II trial of KRd+ASCT.

Abstract

8513 Background: MRD-negativity in multiple myeloma (MM) assessed by NGS in bone marrow (BM) aspirate is associated with longer progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival. MS can detect monoclonal protein at a heightened sensitivity in peripheral blood (PB). We sought to assess the concordance of MS in PB and NGS in BM, comparing outcomes by MRD status. Methods: MRD was tested on paired PB and BM samples from transplant (ASCT)-eligible pts with newly diagnosed secretory MM who received treatment on a phase II clinical trial (NCT01816971) with KRd for 4 cycles, ASCT, KRd for 14 cycles, and lenalidomide maintenance (LM). Both NGS and MS were evaluable in 36 pts after a total of 18 cycles of KRd (C18) and in 24 pts after 1 year of LM. MS signatures were identified in pretreatment PB samples. C18 and after 1 year of LM PB samples were evaluated using both MALDI-TOF and liquid-chromatography-MS (LCMS) by the Binding Site Group. Paired MRD by NGS was performed by ClonoSEQ. 20/60 samples reached the limit of detection for 10−6 and 40/60 for 10−5. Results: There was substantial concordance between NGS and MALDI-TOF among the 60 samples ( κ= 0.667, 83% agreement) and fair concordance between NGS and LCMS ( κ= 0.348, 63% agreement). However, all 22 discordant samples (8 with NGS depth 10−6, 14 with NGS depth 10−5) were NGS−/LCMS+. 4/16 (25%) of these pts converted to NGS+, and 3/16 (19%) clinically progressed. There was stronger concordance between LCMS and NGS 10−6( κ= 0.615) than with NGS 10−5( κ= 0.375). At a median follow-up of 56 months, C18 LCMS−(n = 9) was associated with superior PFS vs all LCMS+(n = 27; p = 0.03) and independently vs NGS—/LCMS+ (n = 14; p = 0.04). There were 10 events (including 4 deaths) in the C18 LCMS+ group vs 0 in the LCMS− group. Conclusions: MRD assessment by LCMS in PB appears to reach and possibly exceed the sensitivity of MRD by NGS in BM at a depth of 10−5-10−6. LCMS positivity predicted conversion from NGS— to NGS+ in 25% of discordant cases, and LCMS negativity was a better predictor of superior PFS than MRD negativity by NGS. These observations need confirmation in larger prospective studies.