Haematologica
HOME HELP FEEDBACK TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dingli, D
Right arrow Articles by Witzig, T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dingli, D
Right arrow Articles by Witzig, T.
Haematologica, Vol 90, Issue 12, 1650-1654
Copyright © 2005 by Ferrata Storti Foundation

Journal Article

Combination therapy with thalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma not undergoing upfront autologous stem cell transplantation: a phase II trial

D Dingli, SV Rajkumar, GS Nowakowski, MA Gertz, A Dispenzieri, MQ Lacy, S Hayman, R Fonseca, JA Lust, RA Kyle, PR Greipp, and TE Witzig

Division of Hematology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Thalidomide plus dexamethasone (Thal/Dex) has emerged as an effective alternative to vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone as a pre-transplant induction therapy for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. However, many patients treated initially with Thal/Dex do not proceed to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and the time to progression and other outcome measures with Thal/Dex as primary therapy for multiple myeloma are not known. We present the first data on the outcome of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with Thal/Dex who did not undergo upfront ASCT. DESIGN AND METHODS: We identified 21 patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma treated with Thal/Dex on a phase II clinical trial who did not undergo ASCT due to age, comorbidity or the patient's refusal. Patients received thalidomide at a dose of 200 mg/day orally and dexamethasone 40 mg daily on days 1-4, 9-12, 17-20 (odd months) and days 1-4 (even months). Cycles were repeated every 28 days. RESULTS: The median age was 66 years (range 36-78). The median duration of follow-up was 21 months (range 1-52). One (5%) patient achieved a complete response, and 9 (43%) had a partial response, so the overall response rate was 48%. Of the remaining patients, 7 (33.3%) had stable disease, one patient did not respond, and three died while on therapy prior to response assessment. The median overall survival and time to progression were 21 months and 18 months, respectively. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: The median time to disease progression in patients with multiple myeloma who receive initial therapy with Thal/Dex and who do not undergo ASCT is 18 months.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 The OncologistHome page
P. G. Richardson, C. Mitsiades, R. Schlossman, N. Munshi, and K. Anderson
New Drugs for Myeloma
Oncologist, June 1, 2007; 12(6): 664 - 689.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BloodHome page
M. Offidani, L. Corvatta, M.-N. Piersantelli, G. Visani, F. Alesiani, M. Brunori, P. Galieni, M. Catarini, M. Burattini, R. Centurioni, et al.
Thalidomide, dexamethasone, and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (ThaDD) for patients older than 65 years with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma
Blood, October 1, 2006; 108(7): 2159 - 2164.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 ASH Education BookHome page
R. Z. Orlowski
Initial Therapy of Multiple Myeloma Patients Who Are Not Candidates for Stem Cell Transplantation
Hematology, January 1, 2006; 2006(1): 338 - 347.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK TABLE OF CONTENTS ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Copyright © 2005 by the Ferrata Storti Foundation.