How might the MASS score aid treatment decisions for newly diagnosed patients?

Shaji Kumar, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, US, spoke with the Multiple Myeloma Hub about his recent paper “A simple additive staging system for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma” published in Blood Cancer Journal.

With reference to this paper, we asked, How might the MAYO Additive Staging System (MASS) score aid treatment decisions for newly diagnosed patients?

Kumar begins his answer by describing the current situation regarding risk stratification in the field of multiple myeloma, including the role of the Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) and the importance of the inclusion of cytogenetic abnormalities, such chromosome 1q gain/amplification.

Kumar speaks on the creation of the MASS score using the ISS Stage III (serum β₂-microglobulin ≥5.5 mg/L) and the other risk factors shown in Figure 1. Following on from this, the potential benefits of this scoring system are summarized.

Figure 1. MASS*

IGH, immunoglobulin heavy chain locus; ISS, International Staging System; LDH, lactate dehydrogenase; MASS, Mayo Additive Staging System; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival.
*Adapted from Abdallah, et al.¹