{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T09:54:21Z","timestamp":1785405261569,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1779148800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Takeda Pharmaceuticals"},{"name":"Clinical Trial and Consulting Services"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01yemhm44","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Hematology Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Objectives: Real-world information on relapsed and\/or refractory multiple myeloma (rrMM) clinical management in Portugal is scarce. The CharisMMa Portugal study aimed to characterize rrMM patients through socio-demographic and clinical parameters and describe treatment patterns. Methods: This was an observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study with 62 rrMM patients routinely treated at seven hospitals in Portugal. Data were collected from medical records during clinical appointments (2020\u20132022) after written informed consent was obtained (ClincialTrials.gov ID-NCT04135963). Patients who were diagnosed with a symptomatic MM episode in the 6 months prior to study initiation and who received treatment before their last relapse episode were enrolled. Results: Most patients were male (54.8%) and living with relatives (90.3%), and almost 50% were independent. Roughly 70% of patients were classified as Revised MM International Staging System (R-ISS) Stage II at diagnosis, with a mean age of 65.76 (\u00b19.24) years old. Most common SliM-CRAB (SLIM: sixty percent or more clonal plasma cells in the bone marrow (S), light chain ratio \u2265100 (Li), and MRI-detected focal lesions (M); CRAB: hypercalcemia (C), renal insufficiency (R), anemia (A), and bone lesions (B)) signs were bone lesions (59%), and 62.9% of the patients had at least one comorbidity. At study initiation, 70.5% of patients were on second-line treatment, with monoclonal antibodies and proteasome inhibitors (PIs) + immunomodulators (IMiDs) as leading agents. Triplet regimens were the most common across all lines, while oral and oral + subcutaneous were the most prevalent routes of administration. Conclusions: Triple treatment combinations are common in rrMM management, with PIs and IMiDs frequently used, especially in first-line settings. The use of oral formulation is substantial, suggesting a step toward more patient-centric options. This characterization underscores the complexity of rrMM management and should inform stakeholders of strategies to standardize patient care across reference centers in Portugal.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/hematolrep18030034","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]],"date-time":"2026-05-19T07:35:43Z","timestamp":1779176143000},"page":"34","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Sociodemographic, Clinical, and Therapeutic Characterization of Multiple Myeloma Patients (CharisMMa Study) with Symptomatic Relapse and\/or Refractory Disease: An Observational, Multicenter Study in Portugal"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7811-9509","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Bergantim","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S-Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Cancer Drug Resistance Group, IPATIMUP-Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Clinical Hematology, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o, E.P.E-Hospital Center of S\u00e3o Jo\u00e3o, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Clinical Hematology, FMUP-Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9 Guilherme","family":"Freitas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Servi\u00e7o Onco-Hematologia, Instituto Portugu\u00eas Oncologia Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cristina","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Santo Ant\u00f3nio, E.P.E.-Servi\u00e7o de Hematologia, Centro Hospitalar Universit\u00e1rio de Santo Ant\u00f3nio, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ICBAS-School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Helena","family":"Martins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Hematolology Unit, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade Santa Maria, Hospital de Santa Maria, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal"},{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisboa, 1649-004 Lisboa, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5854-4444","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Herlander","family":"Marques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Braga, Servi\u00e7o de Oncologia do Hospital de Braga, 4710-243 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro Cl\u00ednico Acad\u00e9mico, de Braga-2CA-Braga, 4710-243 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"CINTESIS-Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Tecnologias e Servi\u00e7os de Sa\u00fade, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henrique","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade Gaia e Espinho, Clinical Hematology, Gaia Hospital, 4434-502 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patr\u00edcia","family":"Seabra","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Santo Ant\u00f3nio, E.P.E.-Servi\u00e7o de Hematologia, Centro Hospitalar Universit\u00e1rio de Santo Ant\u00f3nio, 4099-001 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4194-9119","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriana","family":"Roque","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Hematology, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7403-8998","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00e1rcio","family":"Tavares","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Braga, Servi\u00e7o de Oncologia do Hospital de Braga, 4710-243 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro Cl\u00ednico Acad\u00e9mico, de Braga-2CA-Braga, 4710-243 Braga, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pedro","family":"Pinto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade Gaia e Espinho, Clinical Hematology, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia, 4430-062, Espinho, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana Rita","family":"Francisco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Takeda Farmac\u00eauticos Portugal, 2770-071 Pa\u00e7o de Arcos, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Joana","family":"Tato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Takeda Farmac\u00eauticos Portugal, 2770-071 Pa\u00e7o de Arcos, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Catarina","family":"Geraldes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Hematology, Unidade Local de Sa\u00fade de Coimbra, 3000-075 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio de Oncobiologia e Hematologia e Cl\u00ednica Universit\u00e1ria de Hematologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Grupo de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Ambiente, Gen\u00e9tica e Oncobiogia (CIMAGO), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Coimbra, e Centro de Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Biomedicina e Biotecnologia (CIBB), 3004-531 Coimbra, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro Acad\u00e9mico-Cl\u00ednico de Coimbra (CACC), 24230-322 Coimbra, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2020). 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