UoS-led study offers new hope for cancer patients

An international study led by a researcher at the University of Sharjah (UoS) has uncovered groundbreaking findings that may reshape the treatment approach for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

The study demonstrated that listening to patients’ self-reported assessments of their physical functioning prior to starting treatment with daratumumab can help predict how well they will respond to therapy.

The study was led by Dr Ahmad Abuhelwa, Assistant Professor at the College of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, and involved 1,804 patients with multiple myeloma across three major international clinical trials. The research was conducted in collaboration with Burjeel Cancer Institute in the UAE, Flinders University in Australia, Moffitt Cancer Center, and the University of North Carolina in the United States.

Published in the European Journal of Haematology, the study demonstrated that patients who reported low physical function at the start of treatment, including difficulty performing daily tasks such as walking or dressing, derived significantly greater benefits from daratumumab therapy. Specifically, these patients experienced a 47% reduction in the risk of death and a 66% decrease in disease progression. By contrast, patients with higher baseline physical functioning experienced less pronounced benefits, with a 14% reduction in mortality risk and a 47% reduction in disease progression.

Dr Ahmad Abuhelwa, the study’s lead investigator, explained: “This study shows that how patients feel before starting therapy matters-not just for quality of life, but for survival itself. Patients who felt physically weaker at the start of therapy benefited more from daratumumab than those who were more physically fit.”

He also added: “What makes this study unique is that we focused on how patients rated their own physical ability-not just how doctors assessed them. We found that patient-reported physical function was a more accurate predictor of treatment response than traditional clinical assessments.”

Dr Abuhelwa emphasised that these findings could transform treatment decision-making for patients with multiple myeloma: “Rather than relying solely on conventional medical assessments, we can now pay closer attention to how patients perceive their health, and tailor treatments accordingly.”

This study comes at a time when global cases of multiple myeloma are on the rise. In 2022, approximately 188,000 new cases and 121,000 deaths were reported worldwide, with these numbers expected to increase by over 70% by 2045.

Prof Humaid Al Shamsi, a co-author from the UAE’s Burjeel Cancer Institute, added: “This study highlights the growing importance of patient-centered care in oncology.

WAM