Abstract
Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially severe medical problem among multiple myeloma (MM) patients, with evolving treatment regimens potentially increasing the thrombotic risk. Data on VTE incidence and risk factors in multiethnic Malaysian MM patients are limited. This study aimed to assess VTE incidence and risk factors in newly diagnosed MM (NDMM) patients at two tertiary centres in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included NDMM patients, aged ≥18, diagnosed between January 2015 and December 2022 at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz and Hospital Ampang. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, MM therapies, and thromboprophylaxis data were analysed. VTE is defined as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), confirmed by imaging. Results: Among the 216 NDMM patients (mean age: 62.4 ± 10.6 years), 22 (10.2%) developed VTE (15 DVT, five PE, and two both). The median time from MM diagnosis to VTE was 3.5 months (IQR 5.3). A univariate analysis identified the female sex, an ECOG performance status ≥ 2, diabetes mellitus, a recent orthopaedic surgery (<6 months), a SAVED score ≥ 2, and an IMPEDE-VTE score > 3 as significant risk factors. In the multivariable logistic regression, the female sex (aOR 8.56, 95% CI: 1.95-37.48), an ECOG status ≥ 2 (aOR 12.74, 95% CI: 3.37-48.17), and a recent orthopaedic surgery (aOR 21.79, 95% CI: 3.10-153.38) were the independent risk factors of VTE among NDMM patients. Conclusions: VTE incidence in our NDMM cohort was 10.2%. Independent risk factors included the female sex, a poor performance status, and a recent orthopaedic surgery. Individualised thromboprophylaxis strategies are crucial, warranting further real-world studies to optimise anticoagulation regimens.