The t(4:14) is seen in 10-15% of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma cases and is associated with a high risk of disease progression and poor prognosis. The dysregulation of genes and pathways associated with the t(4;14) translocation leads to an increase in the proliferation of cancer cells and a decreased sensitivity to current treatments. In addition to poor prognosis, patients with t(4;14) myeloma may also experience more severe symptoms such as bone pain, fatigue, anemia, and kidney damage.
Focused research on t(4;14) myeloma is needed to better understand its complex biology and to identify vulnerabilities that can be exploited for the development of new targeted therapies that yield significant improvement in outcomes for patients with this high-risk disease.