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‹ Mon · 13 Apr 2026
Novel or significantly improved treatment

Functionally high-risk disease is associated with poor outcomes after late-line CAR T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma.

Identifying multiple myeloma patients at highest risk early may help doctors decide to offer CAR T therapy sooner, when it might be most effective.

In this retrospective MSKCC cohort of 208 MM patients receiving CAR T, functionally high-risk disease (progression within 24 months of frontline therapy) was strongly associated with inferior overall survival compared to non-FHR disease. These findings support moving CAR T earlier in the treatment sequence for FHR MM patients.

What the study was

Study design
Retrospective single-center cohort study
Population
Multiple myeloma patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Sample size
208
Category
Treatment Innovation
Maturity
Validated
Journal
Blood Cancer Journal

Why it surfaced

Large single-center cohort (n=208) directly informs CAR T treatment sequencing in MM; finding that late-line use in FHR disease yields inferior survival supports earlier CAR T deployment, with immediate clinical relevance.

A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.