A retrospective analysis of adverse events in multiple myeloma patients receiving lenalidomide based therapy

The aim of this study is to comprehensively investigate the adverse effects associated with lenalidomide in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) receiving lenalidomide-based treatment regimens. This retrospective study was conducted on MM patients who were treated in the hematology outpatient clinic of our hospital between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2024, and who received lenalidomide-based therapies. A total of 75 patients were included in the study. Collected data included patients' age, sex, performance status, type of myeloma, disease stage, presence of bone involvement and plasmacytoma, laboratory parameters at diagnosis, treatment regimens received, whether autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) was performed, reasons for not undergoing ASCT in non-eligible patients, duration of lenalidomide maintenance and total exposure, adverse effects associated with lenalidomide therapy, need for dose modification during treatment, reasons for dose modification or treatment termination evaluated. Within the scope of the study, adverse effects that developed during treatment with lenalidomide + dexamethasone (LenDex), bortezomib + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (VRd), carfilzomib + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (KRd), daratumumab + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (DRd), ixazomib + lenalidomide + dexamethasone (IxaLenDex), lenalidomide + cyclophosphamide + dexamethasone (RCD), and lenalidomide maintenance were evaluated. Specifically, hematological, gastrointestinal, dermatological, neurological, thromboembolic adverse effects and secondary malignancies previously reported in the literature to be associated with lenalidomide were assessed. The epidemiological and demographic characteristics of the patients, as well as the incidence of lenalidomide associated adverse events, were found to be consistent with data reported in the literature. No statistically significant differences were observed in the adverse event profiles, except enfections among different lenalidomide based treatment regimens. However, the observed adverse effects were determined to potentially necessitate dose reductions or termination of lenalidomide therapy.