Knowledge Bank

The standard of care for multiple myeloma (MM), an incurable malignancy of plasma, is an autologous stem cell transplant (HSCT). Many MM patients experience significant anxiety, depression, and distress even before reception of ASCT. Such psychological variables are known to lower active immune cell populations, even within healthy individuals. Neutrophils and lymphocytes are two cell populations targeted during HSCTs, serving as indicators of successful engraftment and immune reconstitution. Conversely, overall health status can be exacerbated by environmental factors (e.g., residing in a Medically Underserved Area (MUA)). This study aims to explore how psychosocial variables (depression, anxiety, stress, MUA-categorization) influence clinically relevant outcomes of Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) and Total Lymphocyte Count (TLC) in MM patients.