Primary treatment with pulsed melphalan, dexamethasone and thalidomide for elderly symptomatic patients with multiple myeloma.
Fifty patients with multiple myeloma >or=75 years of age received primary treatment with melphalan (M) 8 mg/m(2) on days 1-4, dexamethasone (D) 12 mg/m2 on days 1-4 and 17-20 and thalidomide (T) 300 mg at bedtime on days 1-4 and 17-20. This regimen was repeated every 5 weeks for three courses. Patients without evidence of disease progression received nine additional courses of MDT, but without DT on days 17-20, every 5 weeks. Sixty-two percent of patients achieved a partial response and 10% a complete response. The median time to response was 2 months. The median time to progression for all patients was 21.2 months. Deep venous thrombosis and peripheral neuropathy each occurred in 9% of patients.
Dimopoulos
Meletios A
MA
Dept. of Clinical Therapeutics, University of Athens School of Medicine. mdimop@med.uoa.gr
Anagnostopoulos
Athanasios
A
Terpos
Evangelos
E
Repoussis
Panagiotis
P
Zomas
Athanasios
A
Katodritou
Eirini
E
Kyrtsonis
Marie Christine
MC
Delibasi
Souzana
S
Vassou
Amalia
A
Pouli
Anastasia
A
Zervas
Konstantinos
K
Anagnostopoulos
Nikolaos
N
Maniatis
Alice
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D012074:Remission Induction; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000139:chemically induced
D013792:Thalidomide; D003907:Dexamethasone; D008558:Melphalan