Outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma treated at a regional Australian center compared to a metropolitan Australian center.

person Sylvia Ai Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, Australia info_outline Sylvia Ai, Sharlyn Kang, Peter Presgrave, Kim Cartwright, Pauline Warburton, Shrinivas Desai, Gurdeep Parmar

Authors person Sylvia Ai Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, Australia info_outline Sylvia Ai, Sharlyn Kang, Peter Presgrave, Kim Cartwright, Pauline Warburton, Shrinivas Desai, Gurdeep Parmar Organizations Wollongong Hospital, Wollongong, Australia, Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, Wollongong Hospital, NSW, Wollongong, Australia Abstract Disclosures Research Funding No funding received None Background: A number of studies have demonstrated poorer outcomes for patients with cancer who live in rural/regional areas compared to metropolitan areas. There is conflicting information on the effect of rurality on outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma, and limited information regarding the cause of this discrepancy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of demographic, treatment and outcomes of 238 patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma between 2002-2019 in the Illawara Shoalhaven Local Health District. Results: Patients being treated in a regional cancer care centre had lower overall survival compared to those treated at a metropolitan cancer care centre (median OS = 63.6 months vs. 43.8 months, p=0.004), and a trend towards lower progression-free survival (median PFS = 24.7 months vs. 19.8 months, p=0.228) despite treatment by the same group of hematologists. There was a lower rate of autologous transplantation for patients treated at a regional cancer care centre compared to a metropolitan cancer care centre (36% vs. 18%, p=0.007). Conclusions: Survival differences between patients with multiple myeloma living in regional areas compared to metropolitan areas may be due to lower rates of autologous transplantation.