Disease perception, quality of life and mental health among Chinese patients with transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma following treatment: a cross-sectional survey study

Aim: This study evaluated disease perception, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health among Chinese patients with transplant-eligible newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) after treatment in Chinese tertiary hospital settings. Materials & methods: This cross-sectional survey enrolled patients after the treatments for NDMM in two Chinese tertiary hospitals between January and June 2025. This survey study collected disease perception, HRQoL assessment using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) instrument and psychological assessment using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) for anxiety. Patients were categorized according to treatment pathway (autologous stem cell transplantation [ASCT] vs non-ASCT) for exploratory descriptive comparisons. Multivariable regression analyses were used to explore any factors associated with HRQoL and psychological outcomes. Results: The cohort had a mean age of 57.2 years; 39.6% were male. Pathological fractures (54.7%) and hypertension (35.8%) were common in these surveyed patients. Knowledge gaps existed regarding the negative impact of MM on renal impairment and anemia. The mean EQ-5D utility score was 0.849; anemia was negatively associated with EQ-5D utility score (coefficient, -0.253; 95% CI: -0.444 to -0.062; p = 0.011). Regarding psychological outcomes, the mean GAD-7 anxiety score and PHQ-9 depression score were 4.7 and 3.1, respectively. Progressive disease was significantly associated with higher anxiety (GAD-7: coefficient, 7.963; 95% CI: 3.804 to 12.122; p < 0.001) and depression (PHQ-9: coefficient, 3.358; 95% CI: 1.091 to 5.624; p = 0.005). Conclusion: HRQoL was generally preserved in treated Chinese patients with NDMM, but anemia was linked to poorer HRQoL and progressive disease to greater anxiety and depression, supporting targeted education and psychosocial care.