title: [The treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma].
abstract: Survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) has been improved during the past decade. However, most patients with MM remain incurable. Treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory MM includes high dose therapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDT-ASCT), a retreatment using a previous useful chemotherapy, and new drugs such as bortezomib, thalidomide, or lenalidomide. When relapse occurs after use of a new drug, another new drug, a 2-drug or 3-drug combination of new drugs and/or chemotherapeutic drugs can be chosen. Re-HDT-ASCT might be also considered as a salvage therapy for HSCT-eligible patients. In those cases, a balance between efficacy and toxicity of therapies should be taken into consideration. This article reviews the currently available information on treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory MM.
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsurumi
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018450:Disease Progression; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D012008:Recurrence