title: [Single-agent thalidomide for advanced and refractory multiple myeloma].
abstract: Thalidomide as a single agent (200-400 mg/day) was administered in fourteen cases of refractory myeloma, from March 2001 till February 2002. The median age was 71 years (range 58 to 85 years), and the efficacy of thalidomide was observed in cases receiving treatment for at least three consecutive months. Response was evaluated in February 2002, according to the criteria for assessment of response described by Kakimoto et al. At the time of evaluation, two cases were in the PR2 state, one in PR3, two were stable, and three were PD. Evaluation of the response was not possible in six cases in whom treatment had to be discontinued due to intolerable side effects. The response to thalidomide was variable, with some cases responding well even to a low dose (200 mg/day) while a few others showed an early relapse due to the refractory nature of the disease in its response to the drug. The efficacy of treatment seemed to be correlated with the maturation pattern of myeloma cells. Side effects included neurological complications like somnolence, physiological symptoms such as constipation and so on, etc but all were relieved with symptomatic treatment. The drug was well tolerated in geriatric patients. Neutropenia was a dose limiting factor with half of the cases (7/14) presenting with severe neutropenia (grade 3-4), but a response was observed in all of them on administration of G-CSF. Thromboembolism occurred in two cases, the cause of which is not clear. These results suggest that thalidomide is a well tolerated drug and can be considered as a mainstay in the therapy of refractory myeloma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Division of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine, Hiroshima University.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okikawa
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takimoto
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Jyun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Imagawa
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katayama
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Kingo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.forename: Akiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003248:Constipation / Q000139:chemically induced; D018450:Disease Progression; D006970:Disorders of Excessive Somnolence / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D013792:Thalidomide