Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow, and its clinical course depends on a complex interplay of clinical traits and molecular characteristics of the plasma cells. Since risk-adapted therapy is becoming standard of care, there is an urgent need for a precise risk stratification model to assist in therapeutic decision-making. While progress has been made, there remains a significant opportunity to improve patient stratification to optimize treatment and to develop new therapies for high-risk patients. This challenge aims to accelerate the development and evaluation of such risk models in MM.

In collaboration with Myeloma Genome Project (MGP), clinical variables, patient outcomes, genetic, and gene expression data from thousands of samples from private and public studies have been curated and harmonized for this challenge. There are three subchallenges all related to prediction of high-risk patients:

• prediction of clinical progression by 18 months using DNA-based features only (with the option to include ISS and age)
• prediction of clinical progression by 18 months using RNA-based features only (with the option to include ISS and age)
• prediction of clinical progression by 18 months using any combination of DNA-based features, RNA-based features, age, ISS, and other demographic and clinical or cytogenic variables