Prospective evaluation of minimal residual disease in the phase II FORTE trial: a head-to-head comparison between multiparameter flow cytometry and next-generation sequencing.

Oliva, Stefania; Genuardi, Elisa; Paris, Laura; D'Agostino, Mattia; Rogers, Jennifer; Rota-Scalabrini, Delia; Jacob, Allison P; Patriarca, Francesca et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2023

prospective_cohort · Level II

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Abstract

Limited data are available on the concordance between multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) for minimal residual disease (MRD) detection in a large trial for multiple myeloma (MM) patients. MRD was explored in the FORTE trial for transplant-eligible MM patients randomised to three carfilzomib-based induction-intensification-consolidation treatments and carfilzomib-lenalidomide (KR) <i>vs</i> R maintenance. MRD was assessed by 8-colour 2nd-generation flow cytometry in patients with ≥very good partial response before maintenance. NGS was performed in case of suspected complete response (CR) in a correlative subanalysis. Biological/prognostic concordance between MFC and NGS, conversion to MRD negativity during maintenance, and 1-year/2-year sustained MRD negativity were explored. Between September 28, 2015 and December 22, 2021, 2020 samples were available for MFC and 728 for the simultaneous MFC/NGS correlation in the "suspected CR population". Median follow-up was 62 months. Biological agreement was 87% at the 10<sup>-5</sup> and 83% at the 10<sup>-6</sup> cut-offs. A remarkable prognostic concordance was observed: hazard ratios in MFC-MRD and NGS-MRD-negative <i>vs</i> -positive patients were 0.29 and 0.27 for progression-free survival (PFS) and 0.35 and 0.31 for overall survival, respectively (p < 0.05). During maintenance, 4-year PFS was 91% and 97% in 1-year sustained MFC-MRD-negative and NGS-MRD-negative patients (10<sup>-5</sup>), respectively, and 99% and 97% in 2-year sustained MFC-MRD-negative and NGS-MRD-negative patients, regardless of treatment received. The conversion rate from pre-maintenance MRD positivity to negativity during maintenance was significantly higher with KR <i>vs</i> R both by MFC (46% <i>vs</i> 30%, p = 0.046) and NGS (56% <i>vs</i> 30%, p = 0.046). The significant biological/clinical concordance between MFC and NGS at the same sensitivity suggests their possible use in the evaluation of one of the currently strongest predictors of outcome. Amgen, Celgene/Bristol Myers Squibb, Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.