Dr. Valent on MRD Negativity in Multiple Myeloma

Jason Valent, MD, oncologist, Cleveland Clinic, discusses the potential application of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity in patients with multiple myeloma.

Though MRD negativity is prognostic and not yet predictive in multiple myeloma, Valent says there is still a story to be told regarding its application in myeloma. On October 2, the FDA approved the next-generation sequencing assay clonoSEQ as a test for MRD in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or multiple myeloma. The sequencing assays seem to provide an early signal for overall survival (OS), says Valent. If the FDA accepts MRD negativity as a surrogate for OS advantage, that would increase the use of MRD testing, especially in clinical trials, notes Valent.

There are also potential roles for the technology in the everyday patient setting, though it would require sequential bone marrow sampling over time. If repeat bone marrow sampling is done in patients who are in a complete response, physicians may be better able to determine when they are going to come out of that complete response and alter treatment accordingly, explains Valent.