Health related quality of life for multiple myeloma patients according to treatment strategy after autologous stem cell transplant: a cross-sectional study using EORTC, EQ-5D and MY-20 scales.

Maintenance (MT) may be prescribed after autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) but there are often concerns about the impact on quality of life (QoL). QoL was compared between baseline patients (30-100 days post-ASCT and had not commenced MT); MT patients (>100 days post-ASCT and receiving MT), and no MT (>100 days post-ASCT and not receiving MT). Patients completed the EuroQoL five dimension (EQ-5D), the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and the QoL Questionnaire Myeloma 20 module (QLQ-MY20). Differences between groups were explored with ordinary least squares regressions. Across US and Canada, 303 patients participated. Regression analyses found few differences between MT and no MT. Only diarrhea (EORTC-QLQ C30) and future perspectives (MY-20) domains differentiated; patients on MT scored worse for diarrhea (+9.43; p = .0358) and future perspectives (-11.39; p = .0196). Collectively, the results suggest that MT is not associated with a notable QoL detriment.