title: Allogeneic transplantation for multiple myeloma: further evidence for a GVHD-associated graft-versus-myeloma effect.
abstract: We report a series of 37 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who received an allograft between 1990 and 2000 at our institution. Median age was 47 years, and nearly 70% of patients were Durie-Salmon stage III. A median of five cycles of chemotherapy were given before transplant, with a median interval between diagnosis and transplant of 9.3 months. We report a nonrelapse mortality rate of 22% with a median follow-up period of 40 months, whereas complete remission (CR) rate at 12 months is estimated at 57%. Treatment failure rate and overall survival at 40 months are estimated at 52% and 32%, respectively. The number of chemotherapy cycles prior to allotransplantation achieved borderline statistical significance as a poor prognosis factor for overall survival (P = 0.05), while the presence of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was significantly correlated with CR achievement (P = 0.036). Our study confirms that early allografting in MM can yield toxicity rates significantly lower than those associated with historical cohorts, and supports the hypothesis that cumulative chemotoxicity has a negative influence on mortality and survival rates. More importantly, our study clearly demonstrates an association between cGVHD and CR and brings further evidence in favor of a graft-versus-myeloma effect.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Immunology, Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Le Blanc
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montminy-Métivier
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Busque
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fish
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kassis
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boileau
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lavallée
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bélanger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Letendre
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hébert
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sauvageau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perreault
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D020350:Graft vs Tumor Effect / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015993:Life Tables; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone