Improving Geriatric Care for Older Patients With MM
Key Takeaways:
- Treating multiple myeloma (MM) in older populations is complex due to frailty and comorbidities, which make patients more vulnerable to toxicity profiles and more likely to experience adverse events (AEs).
- Gaps in geriatric care may stem from a lack of standardized evaluation procedures and insufficient communication between hematologists, geriatricians, and other professionals.
- Improving geriatric oncology requires implementing a proactive, tailored approach to treating older patients with MM.
MM is most common in older adults; patients with MM have a median age of 70 years, and nearly one-third are older than 75 years. The frailty, comorbidities, and physiological changes associated with this older population make treating and managing MM challenging. Cases of MM are expected to increase as the number of older patients continues to grow, making enhanced treatment strategies necessary for improving outcomes.
Recommendations from a panel of geriatricians, hemato-oncologists, and nurse clinicians to establish a multidisciplinary framework to identify, assess, and manage older patients with MM were published in Frontiers in Oncology. The group identified gaps in geriatric oncology care and made key recommendations for standardizing and streamlining treatment, increasing geriatric support, and improving provider education.
Challenges and Gaps in Treating Older Patients with MM
Frailty and comorbidities impact the treatment of MM. Patients who are frail are more susceptible to AEs from current therapies. Comorbidities also complicate the management of MM. These 2 factors necessitate individualized and tailored therapies that take into account a patient’s frailty, comorbidities, and cognitive function in order to optimize outcomes while maintaining quality of life.
There is currently a lack of standardized screening tools for older patients with MM, which inhibits consistent identification of patients who would benefit from specialized interventions. Additionally, patient vulnerabilities such as physical and mental decline are overlooked.
Communication and multidisciplinary teamwork need to be improved. Collaboration between hematologists and geriatricians and standard referral pathways would prevent miscommunication and delays in screening and treatment. Furthermore, settings require specialty experts like geriatricians to improve patient support and outcomes.
Recommended Multidisciplinary Framework for Geriatric Oncology
To solve these challenges in geriatric oncology care, the authors propose a framework for identifying, assessing, and treating older patients with MM that would manage their treatment while also optimizing outcomes and quality of life.
Patients aged between 75 and 85 must meet specific criteria to receive a geriatric consultation. This screening would be conducted by geriatricians and would evaluate characteristics such as physical and mental function, social support, and nutrition.
The authors said, “This comprehensive assessment informs personalized geriatric management strategies, ensuring that care plans are tailored to address the patient’s specific life goals, needs and vulnerabilities.”
After consultation, the study recommends a multidisciplinary approach to patient care where various specialists collaborate to provide comprehensive and individualized care. This proposal aims to establish a proactive approach to geriatric care that would improve the management of MM in older patients.
Reference
Côté J, Desforges P, Dionne C, et al. Perspective recommendations on geriatric support for older adults with multiple myeloma based on challenges faced by a multidisciplinary team. Front Oncol. 2026;16:1632275. doi:10.3389/fonc.2026.1632275
