DocWire News Editors

DocwireNews

Whole&ndash;body diffusion&ndash;weighted imaging (WB-DWI) is used for evaluating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), though its prognostic potential is still being developed. As such, Toshiki Terao, MD, and colleagues examined the clinical significant of loss of spleen visualization (LSV) in WB-DWI, and reported that LSV is an indicator for a worse prognosis, even in patients with MM who are responding to treatment.&nbsp;Their article in Scientific Reports, specified that LSV was associated with a high tumor burden and patients with LSV had a lower spleen&ndash;to&ndash;spinal cord ratio (SSR). The researchers also observed a negative correlation between SSR and beta-2 microglobulin or bone marrow plasma cell (BMPC), which suggested that &ldquo;SSR inversely reflected the myeloma burden.&rdquo;&nbsp;The team retrospectively reviewed WB-DWI from 96 patients with newly diagnosed MM and 15 patients with smoldering MM. They reported that LSV was seen in 56 patients with newly diagnosed MM and one patient with smoldering MM. Further, patients with newly diagnosed MM and LSV demonstrated higher median infiltration of bone marrow plasma cells and median total diffusion volume than patients without LSV: 80.0% compared to 50.0% (P&thinsp;&lt;0.001) and 540.2 mL compared to 137.0 mL (P&thinsp;=&thinsp;0.003), respectively. Patients with LSV also had a lower SSR (0.36 versus 0.96, P &lt;0.001) and worse two&ndash;year overall survival (84.6% versus 100%, P&thinsp;=&thinsp;0.032) compared with patients without LSV.As noted, patients who did not recover spleen visualization during treatment had a worse prognosis, even when they obtained a very good partial response. Finally, spleen histopathological results showed higher cellularity and diffuse myeloma cell infiltration in a patient with LSV and splenic amyloidosis without extramedullary hematopoiesis.While the authors acknowledged that the study was limited by its retrospective nature, small sample size, and short observation period, they concluded that LSV and a low SSR during pre&ndash;treatment WB-DWI are correlated with high tumor volume and poor prognosis. &ldquo;As patients with LSV during treatment have very poor prognosis despite favorable treatment responses, the relationships between LSV and other variables should be investigated,&rdquo; the authors added. They called for further research that includes more robust analysis of the spleen to validate their results, and to clarify the function of the spleen in patients with MM.

Jordana Jampel

Positive Preliminary Results From Phase 1 Trial of Dopaminergic Neuron Graft for Parkinson’s Disease

Dementia

Bradley Warady, MD

Joel M. Topf, MD, FACP

2025 Hume Award Winner Is Dedicated to Children’s Care

NKF Spring Clinical Meetings 2025

Distant Brain Metastases in Cutaneous Melanoma May Be Mitigated With Multiple Pathway Inhibitors

Melanoma

Latest News

Prognostic Impact of Loss of Spleen Visualization on Whole-Body Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Multiple Myeloma

Oncology

Whole–body diffusion–weighted imaging (WB-DWI) is used for evaluating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), though its prognostic potential is still being ...

Prognostic Impact of Loss of Spleen Visualization on Whole-Body Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for

About Us

Editorial Policy

Advertising

Contact Us

eNewsletters

Contribute

Career Center

MashupMD

Blood Cancers Today

Cancer Nursing Today

GU Oncology Now

Urban Health Today

Bile Duct Cancer

Colorectal Cancer

Gastroesophageal Cancer

Gastric Cancer

GEP-NETs

GIST

Liver Cancer

Pancreatic Cancer

GI Oncology Now

Anemia

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Essential Thrombocythemia

Hemophilia

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelofibrosis

Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

Polycythemia Vera

Pulmonary Embolism

Sickle Cell Disease

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombophilia

Thrombosis

Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Venous Thromboembolism

von Willebrand Disease

Heme Today

Acute Kidney Injury

ADPKD

Anemia and Kidney Disease

Chronic Kidney Disease

COVID-19 and Kidney Disease

Diabetes and Hypertension

End-Stage Renal Disease

Gout

Hyperkalemia

IgAN

Kidney Transplantation

Metabolic Acidosis

Nephrology Times

HER2 Breast Cancer

HR Breast Cancer

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Genetics & Breast Cancer

Breast Cancers Today

Atherosclerotic Disease

Atrial Fibrillation

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Interventional Cardiology

Lipid Management

Practice Tips With Dr. Lichaa

Preventive Cardiology

Stroke

Cardiology

Breast Cancer

Gynecologic Cancer

Head and Neck Cancer

Skin Cancer

Sleep

Urology

Diabetes

Ophthalmology

— Demodex Blepharitis

Neurology

Rheumatology

Gastroenterology

Pulmonology

Infectious Diseases

— HIV

Health and Wellness

Lupus

Future of Medicine

Orthopedics

Pharmacology

Career News

More

Conferences

CardioNerds

The Sleep Source With Dr. Morse

Rheumatology Rounds With Dr. Maheswaranathan

Partners

Expert Interviews

Subscribe