title: Adjuvant alpha-interferon improves complete remission rates following allogeneic transplantation for multiple myeloma.
abstract: Allogeneic transplantation may be curative in a proportion of patients with multiple myeloma (MM), but relapse is a major cause of treatment failure. We sought to improve complete remission (CR) rates by the use of alpha-interferon (alpha-IFN) in patients not in CR when evaluated 4 months post-transplant. We report five of 13 evaluable patients undergoing allogeneic sibling BM or PBSC transplantation for MM between 1990 and 1997 who met the criteria for adjuvant alpha-IFN therapy. A starting dose of 3 MU x 3/week was commenced at median time of day +126 (range day +112-224) post-transplant and was well-tolerated. In contrast to other reports we observed no increased toxicity in terms of GVHD compared to those patients not receiving alpha-IFN therapy and only one patient treated with alpha-IFN has developed chronic GVHD. Durable CRs were achieved in two patients within 8 weeks of starting therapy whilst two other patients required a longer course of alpha-IFN to achieve CR (36 weeks and 30 weeks, respectively). One patient whose paraprotein was rapidly rising at the time of alpha-IFN therapy clinically relapsed despite 6 months of treatment. None of the patients who achieved CR following alpha-IFN therapy have relapsed and we conclude that alpha-IFN is a safe and effective adjuvant treatment for some patients in the achievement of CR following allogeneic transplantation for myeloma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, City Hospital and University of Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: G I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bienz
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha