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Value in Myeloma Care: Myth or Reality

  • Health Economics (N Khera, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Despite tremendous advances in multiple myeloma (MM) care, the disease maintains considerable morbidity and requires long-term treatment associated with significant financial toxicity to patients and high costs to society. In this review, we explore why — despite treatment advances — value in MM treatment is largely a myth, then explain some ways the myth might become a reality.

Recent Findings

We discuss how value-based care in MM should include patient-centered outcomes such as financial toxicity and quality of life, which are heavily impacted by cost of drugs and the indefinite duration of therapy that is standard in MM treatment. We propose multiple paths to work toward reducing cost and augmenting value of care for patients with MM, including improving access to generic drugs, increasing federal funding for clinical trials, designing more patient-centric clinical trials, and exploring the utilization of minimal residual disease (MRD)-driven treatment de-escalation, among others.

Summary

We remain optimistic that despite the challenges, we can work toward making progress in the realm of value-based care for patients with MM and make it a reality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematological Malignancies and Cellular Therapeutics, Suite 210, Kansas University Medical Center, 2330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Westwood, KS, 66205, USA

    Evguenia Ouchveridze

  2. University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, USA

    Katherine Berger

  3. Division of Hematology and Hematological Malignancies, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Ghulam Rehman Mohyuddin

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  1. Evguenia Ouchveridze
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  3. Ghulam Rehman Mohyuddin
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Correspondence to Evguenia Ouchveridze.

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Ouchveridze, E., Berger, K. & Mohyuddin, G.R. Value in Myeloma Care: Myth or Reality. Curr Hematol Malig Rep 17, 206–216 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11899-022-00669-1

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