Is it necessary to continue taking Bortezomib long-term after treatment?

Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor drug widely used in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) and mantle cell lymphoma. It inhibits the intracellular 26S proteasome activity, thereby blocking the protein degradation process of tumor cells and triggering cell apoptosis. Although bortezomib has a strong anti-cancer effect, whether it requires long-term continuous use after treatment needs to be comprehensively evaluated based on the patient's individual situation and disease response.

In the treatment of multiple myeloma, bortezomib is commonly used in the initial regimen, consolidation therapy, or maintenance therapy. Usually, patients will receive a complete course of treatment (such as 21 days per cycle, a total of 4 cycles – 6 cycles), and then decide whether to continue using it based on the degree of disease remission. If a complete response (CR) or a very good partial response (VGPR) is achieved, the doctor may recommend stopping or reducing the frequency of medication and switching to observation or maintenance treatment with other drugs. Therefore, long-term use of bortezomib is not necessary in all patients.

For patients with a high risk of recurrence or those who have not achieved complete remission, doctors may recommend prolonging the use of bortezomib and maintaining it in combination with other drugs, such as dexamethasone, thalidomide or lenalidomide. Although long-term maintenance therapy can prolong progression-free survival, it also increases the risk of side effects, such as peripheral neuropathy, infection, and blood system suppression. Therefore, whether to use the drug for a long time needs to weigh the efficacy and adverse reactions, and conduct regular evaluation under the guidance of a doctor.

In summary, there is no fixed standard for whether long-term use of bortezomib is necessary after treatment. It needs to be decided based on the patient's treatment response, disease risk level, tolerance, and whether to combine with other drugs. Many patients do not require long-term use of the drug after completing initial treatment and are switched to other regimens or followed regularly. Therefore, patients should review regularly and work with their doctor to develop an individualized treatment plan to ensure efficacy while reducing the risk of side effects.

Reference materials:https://www.drugs.com/