title: Evaluation of immunomodulatory drugs in multiple myeloma: single center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Multiple myeloma (MM) comprises 1% of all cancers and 10% of hematologic malignancies and known as an incurable disease. The introduction of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs) has brought a major shift in therapeutic paradigm in the treatment of newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory MM patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between response status and hematological parameters in patients with MM treated with thalidomide or lenalidomide.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-eight patients who were treated with IMiDs in Ege University, School of Medicine, Department of Hematology, between 2005 and 2012, were evaluated, retrospectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not find any difference between the hematological parameters before and after the treatment neither with thalidomide nor lenalidomide. However, the heterogenity of our groups, the difference in treatment strategies and potential side effects would have an impact on this result. It is needed to perform prospective clinical trials to prove that whether correction of hematological parameters would reflect the response status in patients with myeloma that treated with IMiDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ege University Medical School Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melda Comert
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ozkan
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ege University Medical School Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tombuloglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ege University Medical School Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fahri
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sahin
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ege University Medical School Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Guray
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saydam
keywords: Multiple myeloma; immunomodulatory drugs; lenalidomide; thalidomide