Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38954025›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2024

The impact of continuous lenalidomide maintenance treatment on people living with multiple myeloma-a single-centre, qualitative service evaluation study.

Caroline Buck, Francisco Brenes Castillo, Elena Bettio, Joanne Land, Orla McCourt, Helen Poole, Rachel Tarling, Kwee Yong, Rakesh Popat, Lydia Lee and 8 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Patient preferences for treatment‑free intervals in multiple myeloma: mixed‑methods insights on monitoring trade‑offs and supportive care improvements.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Caroline BuckInstitute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, London, UK. caroline.buck@ucl.ac.uk.
Francisco Brenes CastilloInstitute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Elena BettioInstitute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Joanne LandHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Orla McCourtHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Helen PooleSchool of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Rachel TarlingSchool of Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
Kwee YongHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Rakesh PopatHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Lydia LeeHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Annabel McMillanHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Xenofon PapanikolaouHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Ke XuHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Chara KyriakouHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Neil RabinHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Ashu WechalekarHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.
Abigail FisherInstitute of Epidemiology and Health, University College London, London, UK.
Jonathan SiveHaematology Department, University College London Hospital, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeContinuous lenalidomide maintenance treatment after autologous stem cell transplantation delivers improvement in progression free and overall survival among newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and has been the standard of care in the UK since March 2021. However, there is scant information about its impact on patients' day-to-day lives. This service evaluation aimed to qualitatively assess patients receiving lenalidomide treatment at a cancer centre in London, in order that the service might better align with needs and expectations of patients.

methodsWe conducted 20 semi-structured interviews among myeloma patients who were on continuous lenalidomide maintenance treatment at a specialist cancer centre in London. Members of the clinical team identified potentially eligible participants to take part, and convenience sampling was used to select 10 male and 10 female patients, median age of 58 (range, 45-71). The median treatment duration was 11 months (range, 1-60 months). Participants were qualitatively interviewed following the same semi-structured interview guide, which was designed to explore patient experience and insights of lenalidomide. Reflexive thematic analysis was used for data analysis.

resultsFour overarching themes were as follows: (i) lenalidomide: understanding its role and rationale; (ii) reframing the loss of a treatment-free period to a return to normal life; (iii) the reality of being on lenalidomide: balancing hopes with hurdles; (iv) gratitude and grievances: exploring mixed perceptions of care and communication. Results will be used to enhance clinical services by tailoring communication to better meet patients' preferences when making treatment decisions.

conclusionThis study highlights that most patients feel gratitude for being offered continuous lenalidomide and perceive it as alleviating some fears concerning relapse. It reveals variations in side effects in different age groups; younger patients reported no/negligible side effects, whilst several older patients with comorbidities described significant symptom burden, occasionally leading to treatment discontinuation which caused distress at the perceived loss of prolonged remission. Future research should prioritise understanding the unique needs of younger patients living with multiple myeloma.

Indexed as

LenalidomideMultiple MyelomaQualitative ResearchAgedAntineoplastic AgentsFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicLondonMaintenance ChemotherapyMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTransplantation, AutologousAntineoplastic AgentsLenalidomideLenalidomideMaintenanceMultiple MyelomaQualitative

Identifiers

PMID38954025
PMCPMC11219377

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.