Reduced alpha diversity of the oral microbiome correlates with short progression‐free survival in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma treated with ixazomib‐based therapy (AGMT MM 1, phase II trial). Issue 1 (8th November 2020) - Ludwig, Heinz
Abstract: Alterations in the human microbiome have been linked to several malignant diseases. Here, we investigated the oral microbiome of 79 patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) treated with ixazomib‐thalidomide‐dexamethasone. Increased alpha diversity (Shannon index) at the phylum level was associated with longer progression‐free survival (PFS) (10.2 vs 8.5 months, P = .04), particularly in patients with very long (>75% quartile) PFS . Additionally, alpha diversity was lower in patients with progressive disease ( P < .05). These findings suggest an interrelationship between the oral microbiome and outcome in patients with MM and encourage a novel direction for diagnostic and/or therapeutic strategies.