Data regarding bone marrow (BM) sampling and cytogenetic testing rates for identification of translocation (11q13;14q32) and their changes over time in a multiple myeloma (MM) population are limited. We analyzed these metrics at a clinic specializing in the treatment of MM.
A total of 760 BM aspirate samples from 351 patients were collected between August 2004 and October 2021. We analyzed BM sampling statistics, cytogenetic testing frequency, and the incidence rates for the t(11;14) translocation in a single clinic specializing in the treatment of MM.
We report that most (54.4%) patients had only 1 aspirate collected; the main reason (64.6%) for BM collection was to confirm disease progression. Less than half (47.5%) of BM samples collected for evaluation of MM disease had cytogenetic testing, but the rates have markedly increased in recent years. Our data demonstrated an incidence rate of 19.3% for t(11;14).
This report suggests that some patients may need to retest for this genetic aberration due to the possibility of false negatives and the potential benefit of identifying the t(11;14) marker for patients who may be candidates for a highly effective targeted therapy consisting of the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax.
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