title: Age is not a prognostic variable with autotransplants for multiple myeloma.
abstract: Multiple myeloma (MM) typically afflicts elderly patients with a median age of 65 years. However, while recently shown to provide superior outcome to standard treatment, high-dose therapy (HDT) has usually been limited to patients up to 65 years. Among 550 patients with MM and a minimum follow-up of 18 months, 49 aged >/=65 years were identified (median age, 67; range, 65 to 76 years). Their outcome was compared with 49 younger pair mates (median, 52; range, 37 to 64 years) selected among the remaining 501 younger patients (<65 years) matched for five previously recognized critical prognostic factors (cytogenetics, beta2-microglobulin, C-reactive protein, albumin, creatinine). Nearly one half had been treated for more than 1 year with standard therapy and about one third had refractory MM. All patients received high-dose melphalan-based therapy; 76% of the younger and 65% of the older group completed a second transplant (P =.3). Sufficient peripheral blood stem cells to support two HDT cycles (CD34 > 5 x 10(6)/kg) were available in 83% of younger and 73% of older patients (P =.2). After HDT, hematopoietic recovery to critical levels of granulocytes (>500/microL) and of platelets (>50,000/microL) proceeded at comparable rates among younger and older subjects with both first and second HDT. The frequency of extramedullary toxicities was comparable. Treatment-related mortality with the first HDT cycle was 2% in younger and 8% among older subjects, whereas no mortality was encountered with the second transplant procedure. Comparing younger/older subjects, median durations of event-free and overall survival were 2.8/1.5 years (P =.2) and 4.8/3.3 years (P =.4). Multivariate analysis showed pretransplant cytogenetics and beta2-microglobulin levels as critical prognostic features for both event-free and overall survival, whereas age was insignificant for both endpoints (P =.2/.8). Thus, age is not a biologically adverse parameter for patients with MM receiving high-dose melphalan-based therapy with peripheral blood stem cell support and, hence, should not constitute an exclusion criterion for participation in what appears to be superior therapy for symptomatic MM.
authors.affiliation: Myeloma and Transplantation Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Little Rock 72205, USA.
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Desikan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fassas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Anaissie
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naucke
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spoon
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vesole
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tricot
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Barlogie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data