Refining the current staging system for multiple myeloma

Samir N. Parekh, MD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY, outlines the current staging system for multiple myeloma and suggests how it may be improved. The recently Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) including simple biochemical measures of tumor burden and select high-risk cytogenetic features is most commonly used in the clinic. Nevertheless, a recent study using a multi-omics approach integrating whole genome sequencing, whole exome sequencing, and RNA sequencing demonstrated that incorporating 1q amplification in the current staging system allowed to further discriminate between patients. Prof. Parekh expects that the R-ISS will be updated to include a larger number of genetic alterations. This interview took place during the 36th Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.