TRANSPLANTATION OUTCOMES IN ROMANIAN MULTIPLE MYELOMA PATIENTS TREATED WITH AND WITHOUT DARATUMUMAB: A REAL-WORLD RETROSPECTIVE COHORT
DANIELA DIACONESCU 1,2, DAN SEBASTIAN SOARE 1,2, GEORGIANA ELENA ENE 2, IULIANA IORDAN 1, HORIA BUMBEA 1,2*
1 Hematology and Scientific Research Methodology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
2 Bone Marrow Transplant Clinical Department Emergency University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania
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This single centre retrospective study evaluated treatment outcomes and minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring in 55 Romanian patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) between 2018 and 2025. Patients received triplet or quadruplet induction regimens, including daratumumab-based therapy (Dara-VTD), with MRD assessed by multiparameter flow cytometry on day +100 post-ASCT. MRD negativity was achieved in 60% of patients and was associated with a trend toward improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), although these differences did not reach statistical significance. Similarly, daratumumab exposure before ASCT was associated with a trend towards better OS. No transplant-related mortality was observed. This study underscores the feasibility and clinical relevance of MRD assessment in real-world settings, highlighting the potential benefit of incorporating daratumumab in first-line treatment. Limitations include the small sample size and absence of cytogenetic risk stratification. These findings support the need for larger, multicenter studies to validate MRD as a prognostic tool and to refine treatment strategies for transplant-eligible MM patients in Romania and Eastern Europe.
