Bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone-thalidomide followed by maintenance with bortezomib-thalidomide compared with bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone for initial treatment of multiple myeloma: updated follow-up and improved survival.
OBJECTIVE
Bortezomib-melphalan-prednisone (VMP) has improved overall survival in multiple myeloma. This randomized trial compared VMP plus thalidomide (VMPT) induction followed by bortezomib-thalidomide maintenance (VMPT-VT) with VMP in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.


METHODS
We randomly assigned 511 patients who were not eligible for transplantation to receive VMPT-VT (nine 5-week cycles of VMPT followed by 2 years of VT maintenance) or VMP (nine 5-week cycles without maintenance).


RESULTS
In the initial analysis with a median follow-up of 23 months, VMPT-VT improved complete response rate from 24% to 38% and 3-year progression-free-survival (PFS) from 41% to 56% compared with VMP. In this analysis, median follow-up was 54 months. The median PFS was significantly longer with VMPT-VT (35.3 months) than with VMP (24.8 months; hazard ratio [HR], 0.58; P < .001). The time to next therapy was 46.6 months in the VMPT-VT group and 27.8 months in the VMP group (HR, 0.52; P < .001). The 5-year overall survival (OS) was greater with VMPT-VT (61%) than with VMP (51%; HR, 0.70; P = .01). Survival from relapse was identical in both groups (HR, 0.92; P = .63). In the VMPT-VT group, the most frequent grade 3 to 4 adverse events included neutropenia (38%), thrombocytopenia (22%), peripheral neuropathy (11%), and cardiologic events (11%). All of these, except for thrombocytopenia, were significantly more frequent in the VMPT-VT patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Bortezomib and thalidomide significantly improved OS in multiple myeloma patients not eligible for transplantation.
Antonio Palumbo, Sara Bringhen, Alessandra Larocca, Valeria Magarotto, Paola Omedé, Roberto Mina, Mario Boccadoro, and Giulia Benevolo, Azienda Ospedaliera (A.O.) Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino; Daniela Gottardi, A.O. Ordine Mauriziano; Roberto Passera, San Giovanni Battista Hospital, University of Torino, Torino; Davide Rossi and Gianluca Gaidano, Amedeo Avogadro University of Eastern Piedmont, Novara; Francesco Di Raimondo, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, Catania; Francesca Patriarca, A.O. Universitaria, Udine; Anna Levi and Maria Teresa Petrucci, Sapienza University of Rome; Luca Franceschini, Tor Vergata University Hospital, Rome; Iolanda Donatella Vincelli, A.O. Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, Reggio Calabria; Mariella Grasso, S. Croce e Carle Hospital, Cuneo; Renato Zambello, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova; Vittorio Montefusco, Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori Milano, University of Milano, Milan; Antonietta Pia Falcone, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza and Unità di Ematologia, San Giovanni Rotondo; Roberto Marasca, University of Modena, Modena; Fortunato Morabito, A.O. di Cosenza, Cosenza; Tommasina Guglielmelli, "S. Luigi Gonzaga" Hospital, Orbassano; Chiara Nozzoli, A.O. Universitaria Careggi, Firenze; Massimo Offidani, Ospedali Riuniti, Ancona; Roberto Ria, University of Bari "Aldo Moro" Medical School, Bari; Pellegrino Musto, IRCCS-Centro Regionale Oncologico Basilicata, Rionero in Vulture; and Michele Cavo, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, Bologna, Italy.
Antonio
A
Palumbo
Sara
S
Bringhen
Alessandra
A
Larocca
Davide
D
Rossi
Francesco
F
Di Raimondo
Valeria
V
Magarotto
Francesca
F
Patriarca
Anna
A
Levi
Giulia
G
Benevolo
Iolanda Donatella
ID
Vincelli
Mariella
M
Grasso
Luca
L
Franceschini
Daniela
D
Gottardi
Renato
R
Zambello
Vittorio
V
Montefusco
Antonietta Pia
AP
Falcone
Paola
P
Omedé
Roberto
R
Marasca
Fortunato
F
Morabito
Roberto
R
Mina
Tommasina
T
Guglielmelli
Chiara
C
Nozzoli
Roberto
R
Passera
Gianluca
G
Gaidano
Massimo
M
Offidani
Roberto
R
Ria
Maria Teresa
MT
Petrucci
Pellegrino
P
Musto
Mario
M
Boccadoro
Michele
M
Cavo
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001897:Boronic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000069286:Bortezomib; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D060828:Induction Chemotherapy; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy; D008297:Male; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013792:Thalidomide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001897:Boronic Acids; D011719:Pyrazines; D013792:Thalidomide; D000069286:Bortezomib; D008558:Melphalan; D011241:Prednisone