Multiple myeloma and kidney transplantation: the beginning of a new era

The introduction of several novel therapeutic agents has improved the outcome in multiple myeloma (MM) patients including those with chronic kidney disease, and it is predicted that MM will become a curable disease in a substantial subset of MM patients. While in the past—because of inferior posttransplant outcomes—renal transplantation was not offered to MM patients, recent data suggest that renal transplantation is a viable treatment option in patients treated with modern anti-myeloma induction therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation achieving durable complete responses. The article of Shah, Ibrahim, Delaney et al. [Risk of relapse of multiple myeloma following kidney transplantation: a case series report. Clin Kidney J 2018 (in this issue)] in the current issue of Clinical Kidney Journal adds to this evidence and highlights the limitations and outstanding questions concerning renal transplantation in MM patients.