Angela Dispenzieri, MD

Autologous stem cell transplantation has been an essential part of the treatment armamentarium in light chain amyloidosis for several decades. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of eligibility criteria for ASCT in AL amyloidosis, conditioning dosing, efficacy in terms of hematologic and organ response, and future areas of research.

In this peer-to-peer discussion two experts discuss the nuances and challenges of treating elderly patients with myeloma, and why therapies need to be tailored based on frailty status rather than age.

POEMS syndrome is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome that is caused by an underlying plasma cell disorder. Its main features include polyradiculoneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, and skin changes.

When light-chain amyloidosis is diagnosed prior to the development of advanced cardiomyopathy, systemic therapy is capable of producing hematologic responses that will translate into organ responses and prolonged survival. Advances in the management of multiple myeloma are currently being translated into a variety of clinical trials designed to improve the quality of life and survival of patients with light-chain amyloidosis.