title: Primary plasma cell leukemia in the era of new drugs: has something changed?
abstract: Primary plasma cell leukemia (PPCL) is a rare and aggressive variant of multiple myeloma. This disease is associated with a very poor prognosis, and unfortunately it has not significantly improved during the last three decades. Autologous stem cell transplantation is generally recommended in eligible patients, but survival in transplanted PPCL patients is significantly lower than that of multiple myeloma. Recent preliminary data indicate that new drugs, in particular lenalidomide and bortezomib, could significantly improve the clinical outcome of PPCL, increasing response rate and duration, as well as survival. In this review we report an updated literature analysis about the current therapeutic scenario of PPCL, with a particular focus on the use of novel agents.
authors: Department of Onco-Hematology, IRCCS, Referral Cancer Center of Basilicata, Rionero in Vulture (Pz), Italy. p.musto@crob.it, p.musto@tin.it
authors: Pellegrino
authors: P
authors: Musto
authors: Livio
authors: L
authors: Pagano
authors: Maria Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Petrucci
authors: Fortunato
authors: F
authors: Morabito
authors: Tommaso
authors: T
authors: Caravita
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Di Raimondo
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Baldini
authors: Patrizia
authors: P
authors: Tosi
authors: Sara
authors: S
authors: Bringhen
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Offidani
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Omede'
authors: Antonino
authors: A
authors: Neri
authors: Fiorella
authors: F
authors: D'Auria
authors: Giovanni Battista
authors: GB
authors: Bochicchio
authors: Michele
authors: M
authors: Cavo
authors: Mario
authors: M
authors: Boccadoro
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Palumbo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007952:Leukemia, Plasma Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents