title: Low tolerance and high toxicity of thalidomide as maintenance therapy after double autologous stem cell transplant in multiple myeloma patients.
abstract: Although a double autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (APBSCT) is an effective therapy for patients (pts) with multiple myeloma and extends progression-free survival and overall survival, pts show a continued pattern of recurrent disease. The feasibility and tolerability of thalidomide (Thal) administered in the post-transplantation period as maintenance therapy was tested in 17 pts at a dose of 100 mg/d starting between 3 and 5 months after the second transplantation and continuing either until toxicity precluded further therapy or until pts had disease progression. After a median administration of 13 months (range: 3-26), 76.5% (13 pts) failed to tolerate Thal because of: transiet ischemic attack (three pts), severe fatigue (two), neutropenia (one), piastrinopenia (one), severe opportunistic infectious (two), erectile impotence (one), gastrointestinal toxicity (anorexia with weight loss one), peripheral neuropathy (two). After a median follow-up of 36 months (range: 10-59) from the second transplant, 13 patients attained a CR + near CR (with a conversion rate from 47.1% to 76.5%). In conclusion, Thal as maintenance therapy after double ASCT is associated with low feasibility and high toxicity and could prevent a lengthy use of this antineoplastic agent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bone Marrow Transplant, Azienda Ospedaliera Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, Reggio Calabria, Italy. massimartino@tin.it
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martino
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Console
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Callea
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stelitano
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Massara
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Irrera
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Morabito
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iacopino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013792:Thalidomide