Adherence to lenalidomide deficient in multiple myeloma patients

Adherence to lenalidomide is remarkably lacking among patients with multiple myeloma at 1 year following treatment initiation, a study has found.

“In combination with dexamethasone, lenalidomide is prescribed in the oral treatment of multiple myeloma for patients who have received at least one previous therapy,” the authors noted.

This study was conducted in Pescara Hospital in Italy. The authors sought to assess medication adherence to lenalidomide, progression-free, and overall survival of multiple myeloma patients 1 year from the beginning of treatment. Those who initiated lenalidomide therapy between 1 January 2012 and 30 June 2016 were included in the analysis.

The authors calculated adherence to treatment using the ratio between the received daily dose and the prescribed daily dose. They also evaluated effectiveness in real-world settings as progression-free and overall survival 1 year from treatment initiation. Main outcomes measured were medication adherence and effectiveness of lenalidomide in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Eighty-one patients were evaluated in the study, with adherence to overall mean treatment of 0.73. Of the participants, only 32 percent achieved an adherence ≥80 percent. Progression-free and overall survival at 1 year from the beginning of treatment were 53.75 percent and 88 percent, respectively.

Of note, the lack of association between levels of adherence and patient-related variables suggests that adherence is not related to personal, social, and environmental characteristics that may determine each patient’s correct treatment implementation but is rather influenced by disease evolution, according to the authors.