Therapeutical options for older multiple myeloma patients have been improved with the advent of new drugs, yet there is a lack of observational data for such patients. To address this issue, an age-stratified analysis of the VESUVE cohort of bortezomib users was performed. Among the 779 patients included in the analysis, 358 (46%) were aged ≤ 65 years, 282 (36%) were between 65-75 years and 139 (18%) were more than 75 years old. There were few significant differences in treatment parameters across age groups; notably, older patients received a lower dose of bortezomib and more frequently experienced general or administration site conditions, metabolism or nutrition disorders and cardiac disorders. Overall best response rate and progression-free survival were similar across age groups. Taken together, these results indicate that older patients do benefit from bortezomib and that tailored treatment in real-life clinical practice does not compromise effectiveness.
Keywords: Bortezomib; aged; cohort studies; multiple myeloma; survival analysis.