title: Melphalan 220 mg/m2 followed by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in 27 patients with advanced multiple myeloma.
abstract: Twenty-seven patients with advanced multiple myeloma received high-dose therapy with 220 mg/m2 i.v. melphalan (HDM220) followed by autologous stem cell transplantation. At the time of HDM220, nine patients had primary refractory disease and 18 were in relapse after having responded to prior high-dose therapy. No toxic deaths were observed. The major adverse side-effect was grade 4 mucositis in 63% of patients. Two patients experienced reversible paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after HDM220. For the whole group of patients, the actuarial 3-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) are 36.1 and 16.9%, respectively. The probability of OS and EFS was significantly lower in patients treated for refractory relapse (22.9 and 0% at 2 years, respectively) as compared to primary refractory patients (66.7 and 64.3% at 2 years, respectively) or patients treated for chemosensitive relapse (42.9% at 2 years) (P = 0.0001). Low beta2-microglobulin and CRP levels at the time of HDM220 were associated with a better OS and EFS. Our data suggest that HDM220 followed by ASCT should be considered in patients with primary refractory disease or chemosensitive disease relapsing after prior intensive therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, CHU Hôtel-Dieu, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreau
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Milpied
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mahé
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Juge-Morineau
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bataille
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Harousseau
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012008:Recurrence; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D008558:Melphalan