Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy with a variety of genetic characteristics. Despite the remarkable improvements in efficacy and survival during the last two decades, the clinical outcome in patients with MM is still widely heterogeneous. Compared with 8 to 10 years of overall survival (OS) in standard risk population, around 15% to 20% of MM patients are recognized as high-risk patients, whose OS is estimated at about 3 years. However, the definition of high-risk multiple myeloma is not yet unified based on guidelines, recommendations or studies in different academic associations or institutes.
International Staging System (ISS) has been an authoritative risk stratification standard since 2005 which is only composed of serum beta2 microglobulin and albumin. Cytogenetic abnormalities including 17p deletion, t(4;14)/t(14;16) translocations and elevated lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were added to the revised ISS (R-ISS) in 2015. Moreover, chromosome 1q21 amplification was included and weighted with other prognostic genetic factors to establish an updated R2-ISS criteria this year. Besides, p53 mutation, high plasma cell S phase and high-risk signature of gene expression profile (GEP) are counted in Mayo Stratification for Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (sMART) 3.0. Mayo additive staging system (MASS) was developed and validated in 2022, which incorporated Myc rearrangement and other cytogenetic or clinical factors. The value of gene mutations such as Ras, BRAF, DIS3, etc in risk stratification is disputable.
Although controversies are constant, genetic characteristics are still the main predictive factors in the identification of high-risk MM, which is of great significance for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In this collection, we aim to assemble manuscripts focusing on genetic studies, gaining insightful views on the following point:
• Newly discovered genetic characteristics in high-risk myeloma
• Molecular mechanisms correlated with the aggressiveness of myeloma
• Therapy target and drug resistance based on the related genetic characteristics
• Extramedullary disease
• Plasma cell leukemia.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a plasma cell malignancy with a variety of genetic characteristics. Despite the remarkable improvements in efficacy and survival during the last two decades, the clinical outcome in patients with MM is still widely heterogeneous. Compared with 8 to 10 years of overall survival (OS) in standard risk population, around 15% to 20% of MM patients are recognized as high-risk patients, whose OS is estimated at about 3 years. However, the definition of high-risk multiple myeloma is not yet unified based on guidelines, recommendations or studies in different academic associations or institutes.
International Staging System (ISS) has been an authoritative risk stratification standard since 2005 which is only composed of serum beta2 microglobulin and albumin. Cytogenetic abnormalities including 17p deletion, t(4;14)/t(14;16) translocations and elevated lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) were added to the revised ISS (R-ISS) in 2015. Moreover, chromosome 1q21 amplification was included and weighted with other prognostic genetic factors to establish an updated R2-ISS criteria this year. Besides, p53 mutation, high plasma cell S phase and high-risk signature of gene expression profile (GEP) are counted in Mayo Stratification for Myeloma and Risk-Adapted Therapy (sMART) 3.0. Mayo additive staging system (MASS) was developed and validated in 2022, which incorporated Myc rearrangement and other cytogenetic or clinical factors. The value of gene mutations such as Ras, BRAF, DIS3, etc in risk stratification is disputable.
Although controversies are constant, genetic characteristics are still the main predictive factors in the identification of high-risk MM, which is of great significance for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment. In this collection, we aim to assemble manuscripts focusing on genetic studies, gaining insightful views on the following point:
• Newly discovered genetic characteristics in high-risk myeloma
• Molecular mechanisms correlated with the aggressiveness of myeloma
• Therapy target and drug resistance based on the related genetic characteristics
• Extramedullary disease
• Plasma cell leukemia.
Please note: manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this section and will not be accepted as part of this Research Topic.