title: A pilot study on feasibility and efficacy of amifostine preceding high-dose melphalan with autologous stem cell support in myeloma patients.
abstract: To evaluate feasibility and potential efficacy of amifostine (AMI) in the prevention of toxicities associated with high-dose melphalan (MEL), ten myeloma patients received AMI 910 mg/m2 in 15 min infusion preceding MEL 200 mg/m2 followed by stem cell infusion (AMI group). Hematologic and extra-hematologic toxicities as well as the need for supportive care observed in the AMI group were compared with ten myeloma patients treated in an identical protocol but without AMI. Hypotension was the most important adverse event of AMI infusion. No differences were observed in the time of engraftment between the AMI group and the control group neither was there any difference in the need for supportive care. Oral mucositis grade >2 was observed in 30% of the patients in both groups. Diarrhea grade >2 occurred only in two AMI patients but in five control patients. AMI preceding high-dose MEL is feasible, although adverse events are observed in some patients. Whether AMI could reduce the gastrointestinal toxicity associated with high-dose MEL can be reliably assessed only in prospective randomized trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 1777, 70211 Kuopio, Finland. esa.jantunen@kuh.fi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jantunen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuittinen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nousiainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004999:Amifostine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D004999:Amifostine; D008558:Melphalan