Increased Time to Stem Cell Transplant for Black Patients with Multiple Myeloma

Researchers from The Mount Sinai Health System in New York City evaluated racial disparities in time to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) in Black patients with multiple myeloma (MM).

“Previous studies have found that Black patients with MM undergo AHCT less frequently than their white counterparts, although the factors leading to decreased access and utilization have not been fully elucidated,” wrote the study authors.

These findings were published in Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma, & Leukemia.

The investigators retrospectively evaluated 410 patients with MM who underwent AHCT at The Mount Sinai Hospital between 2011 and 2016, including 150 Black patients and 260 white patients. Time from initial diagnosis to stem-cell collection for AHCT and time from collection to transplant were compared between Black versus white patients, while controlling for other factors such as age, socioeconomic status, and functional stage.

Median time from diagnosis to stem-cell collection for Black patients was 238 days, compared with a median 195 days for white patients (P = 0.051). Time from collection to transplant was conversely higher in white patients compared with Black patients.

Functional status, socioeconomic status, and age were found to be significantly associated with time to stem-cell collection. When controlling for these variables, patient race was not a statistically significant factor (P = 0.065) impacting time to collection.

In conclusion, the authors wrote: “Increased time from diagnosis to stem-cell collection for Black patients was driven in part by socioeconomic status and baseline functional status.”