“It’s Physical Condition, Not Age”: First Domestic Evidence Shows Benefits of Transplants for Older Myeloma Patients

Age alone should not decide whether older patients with multiple myeloma receive an autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplant, according to a South Korean study described as the first domestic evidence of its kind.

A research team from the Hematology Hospital at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, led by Professor Min Chang-ki, found that the procedure improved survival among patients aged 65 to 69. The team also reported that the treatment performed well in cost-effectiveness analysis.

The study involved Professor Choi Su-in of the Catholic University College of Medicine’s Department of Pharmacology as a co-corresponding author, and Professor Lee Jeong-yeon as first author. Its findings challenge a treatment approach based simply on chronological age and point instead to patients’ physical condition.

Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer caused by the abnormal growth of plasma cells, which normally support immune function. As cancer cells accumulate in the bone marrow, they interfere with the production of normal blood cells and weaken bones, increasing the risk of fractures. Anemia, recurrent infections, bone pain and reduced kidney function are among its known symptoms.

The number of cases in South Korea increased from 492 in 2000 to 1,961 in 2022, nearly quadrupling in just over two decades. About 90% of patients are aged 60 or older, making treatment strategies for older patients an important challenge.