Low-dose acyclovir is effective for prevention of herpes zoster in myeloma patients treated with bortezomib: a report from the Korean Multiple Myeloma Working Party (KMMWP) Retrospective Study.
OBJECTIVE
Acyclovir prophylaxis has been considered as mandatory for patients receiving bortezomib because herpes zoster is a common adverse event associated with the use of bortezomib. Although the minimal effective dose of acyclovir for prophylaxis has not yet established, the efficacy of low-dose acyclovir prophylaxis, 400 mg once daily, has been suggested.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the patients receiving the low-dose acyclovir which was defined as the once daily administration of acyclovir 400 or 200 mg. All patients received bortezomib-containing chemotherapy in the setting of relapsed or refractory myeloma.


RESULTS
Eighty patients received bortezomib-containing treatment as a salvage therapy. All patients received at least one or more treatments prior to bortezomib treatment, including autologous stem cell transplantation. Sixty-one patients received 400 mg of acyclovir once daily while 19 patients received 200 mg. Although seven cases of herpes zoster were observed from 80 patients (7/80, 8.75%), two cases of herpes zoster received 400 mg during the limited period from the first to the fourth cycle, and the other five received 200 mg. Therefore, there was no herpes zoster in patients who received 400 mg of acyclovir till the last cycle of bortezomib treatment. There were no adverse events associated with the use of acyclovir prophylaxis.


CONCLUSIONS
The administration of acyclovir 400 mg once daily during the bortezomib treatment is an effective prophylaxis for herpes zoster in patients receiving bortezomib irrespective of disease state and the type of chemotherapy regimen.
Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Seok Jin
SJ
Kim
Kihyun
K
Kim
Young Rok
YR
Do
Sung Hwa
SH
Bae
Deok-Hwan
DH
Yang
Je-Jung
JJ
Lee
D000212:Acyclovir / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069286:Bortezomib; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D001897:Boronic Acids; D011719:Pyrazines; D000069286:Bortezomib; D000212:Acyclovir