title: Validation of prognostic factors and survival of patients with multiple myeloma in a real-life autologous stem cell transplantation setting: a Swiss single centre experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-dose chemotherapy with subsequent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an important treatment option in younger patients with multiple myeloma (MM). We analysed the outcome of patients treated at our institution outside the clinical trials framework and tried to identify risk factors prognostic for survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical histories of the patients were screened for response, event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). Pre-transplant variables were analysed to identify possible prognostic risk factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 182 ASCT were performed in 120 patients with MM from 2002 to 2007. Treatment-related mortality (TRM) was 0.5%. Median EFS was 23.1 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.4-28.4) and median OS was 49.8 months (95%CI: 43.7 - not reached) in the whole patient population. The median OS in patients who received one ASCT was 46.4 months (95%CI: 35.2 - not reached), and 63.7 months (95%CI: 48.9 - not reached) in patients who underwent double ASCT. Patients who already achieved a complete remission (CR) before ASCT had a longer EFS (p = 0.016) than patients without CR. Additionally, patients who achieved a CR after ASCT had a longer EFS (p = 0.0061) and OS (p = 0.0024) than patients without CR. ISS stage <III at first diagnosis strongly correlated with improved EFS (p = 0.0006) and OS (p <0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ASCT is a safe and effective treatment mode in eligible patients with MM. TRM was below average at our institution. Achievement of CR after transplantation was the most valuable predictor for improved overall survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. panagiotis.samaras@usz.ch
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Samaras
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blickenstorfer
authors.forename: Sarah R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.forename: Raffaele Daniele
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Siciliano
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Petrausch
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mischo
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zweifel
authors.forename: Hanspeter
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Honegger
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schanz
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stussi
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taverna
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Knuth
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Stenner-Liewen
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Renner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation; D015996:Survival Rate; D013557:Switzerland; D016896:Treatment Outcome