title: VMCP chemotherapy with or without interferon-alpha-2 in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma.
abstract: Fifty-two previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma were randomized to either a combination of recombinant interferon (rIFN) alpha-2 and chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. Patients were treated with vincristine, melphalan, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone every 4-6 weeks. In the combined treatment arm rIFN was administered concurrently with chemotherapy as well as during chemotherapy free intervals. The combined regimen effected 17/21 (80.9%) responses as compared to 19/27 (70.4%) responses in VMCP treated patients. Addition of rIFN to chemotherapy did not enhance hematologic toxicity. These findings suggest a somewhat higher rate of objective response in the VPMC + rIFN group, although a significant improvement in median survival by adding rIFN to conventional first line polychemotherapy in myeloma patients has not yet been achieved.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Preis
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Scheithauer
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fritz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zielinski
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kuehrer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cortelezzi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pirker
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kriegisch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011897:Random Allocation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D007370:Interferon Type I; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone