title: Treatment of newly diagnosed myeloma.
abstract: The introduction of thalidomide, bortezomib and lenalidomide has dramatically changed the treatment paradigm of multiple myeloma (MM). In patients eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT), combinations including thalidomide/dexamethasone (Thal/Dex) or bortezomib/dexamethasone (Bort/Dex) or lenalidomide/dexamethasone (Rev/Dex) have been introduced as induction regimens in patients eligible for ASCT. New induction regimens have significantly increased complete response rate before and after ASCT with a positive impact on progression-free survival. Maintenance therapy with thalidomide, under investigation with lenalidomide, may further prolong remission duration. In patients not eligible for ASCT, randomized studies have shown that melphalan, prednisone, thalidomide (MPT) and melphalan, prednisone and bortezomib (MPV) are both superior to melphalan and prednisone (MP), and are now considered standard of care. Ongoing trials will soon assess if MP plus lenalidomide may be considered an attractive option. More complex regimens combining thalidomide or bortezomib or lenalidomide with cyclophosphamide or doxorubicin have been also tested. In small cohorts of patients bortezomib or lenalidomide may overcome the poor prognosis induced by deletion 13 or translocation t(4;14) or deletion 17p13. If these data will be confirmed, a cytogenetically risk-adapted strategy might become the most appropriate strategy.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ematologia dell'Università di Torino, Azienda Ospedaliera S. Giovanni Battista, Ospedale Molinette, Turin, Italy. appalumbo@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000069286:Bortezomib; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000077269:Lenalidomide; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D009194:Myeloma Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012306:Risk; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D001897:Boronic Acids; D007155:Immunologic Factors; D009194:Myeloma Proteins; D011719:Pyrazines; D013792:Thalidomide; D000069286:Bortezomib; D000077269:Lenalidomide