title: Thalidomide maintenance following high-dose therapy in multiple myeloma: a UK myeloma forum phase 2 study.
abstract: Thalidomide maintenance has unresolved issues regarding dosage and toxicity. We evaluated this in five dose cohorts in 100 patients. At a median follow-up of 32.3 months, 23 patients had stopped thalidomide for disease progression, 54 for side effects. 3-year overall and progression-free survival was 76% and 41% respectively. Dosage did not influence disease outcome but greatly affected toxicity. Fifteen patients converted from partial remission to complete remission on thalidomide at a median of 13.5 months. Maintenance doses >200 mg were largely unachievable and peripheral neuropathy was the main toxicity. Lower doses enabled more patients to stay on the drug for a useful period of time.
authors.affiliation: St. James University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Feyler
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rawstron
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Snowden
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cocks
authors.forename: Roderick J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D013792:Thalidomide