Our summary
Studies have suggested that there may be differences in the underlying biology of multiple myeloma (MM) based on race, with higher incidence and mortality rates among African Americans compared to Whites in the United States.
While some studies have found similar or better overall survival (OS) for African Americans with MM when access to care is equal, many previous analyses of race-based outcomes in MM have relied on data from the National Cancer Institute Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database or single institutions or trial-based results.
In this study, researchers from the FDA and Flatiron Health used real-world data (RWD) from electronic health records to compare outcomes such as response rate and OS in a cohort of African Americans and White patients with MM.
Why this matters
Using real-world data, researchers examined response outcomes not routinely available in a more representative sample of patients, allowing them to complement the findings with insights from prospective trials that are typically limited due to a lack of representation and challenges associated with sub-analyses. This analysis serves as an example of how RWD can be used to complement our knowledge of treatment outcomes across diverse patient populations.