The Role of Cytokines, Growth and Angiogenic Factors in Patients with NEWLY Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma

Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 4997-4997
Author(s):  
Gurhan Kadikoylu ◽  
Hakan Dogan ◽  
Mukadder Serter ◽  
Aslihan Karul ◽  
Ibrahim Meteoglu ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4997 The cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a may play some roles in both the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM) and bone destruction. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and angiopoietin (Ang)-2 in recent years may trigger angiogenesis in MM. Moreover transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 induce angiogenesis and proliferation of myeloma cells. In this prospective study, we investigated the role of cytokines, growth and angiogenic factors in patients with newly diagnosed MM. Fifty patients (32 were male and 18 female, with mean age of 63 ± 11 years) with newly diagnosed MM were enrolled to this study. Local ethical commity of our university approved this study. 30 healthy individuals (12 were male and 8 female, with mean age of 55±9 years) were selected as control group. The exclusion criteria were malignancy, acute and chronic infections, autoimmune disorders, diabetes mellitus, immune deficiency, and chronic inflammatory diseases. According to Durie-Salmon staging system, 10%, 22%, and 68% of the patients with MM were in Stage I, Stage II and Stage III, respectively. 17%, 44%, and 39% of patients with MM were in International prognostic index-1 (IPI1), IPI2, and IPI3, respectively. 90% of the patients were symptomatic MM, 6% of them were smoldering MM, and solitary plasmacytoma was detected in 4% of the patients. The levels of IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IL15, TNF-a, VEGF, bFGF, TGF-β, HGF, IGF-1, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were determined using ELISA in patients and controls. VEGF and nuclear factor kappa-B (NFkB) were evaluated as immunohistochemistry in bone marrow biopsy in patients and pathological control group (13 were male and 6 female, with mean age of 64±14 years) with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and without bone marrow involvement. In this study, the levels of IL-1β (p<0. 001), IL-2 (p<0. 001), IL-6 (p<0. 001), TNF-a (p<0. 001), IGF-1 (p<0. 001), TGF-β (p<0. 001), HGF (p=0. 004), and Ang-2 (p<0. 001) in patients were higher than controls. But there was no difference for Ang-1, IL-15, and VEGF in between two groups (p>0. 05). According to immunohistochemistry scoring, while NFkB scores in patients were higher than controls (p=0. 035), any significance was not detected for VEGF in between patient and pathological control groups (p>0. 05). According to Durie-Salmon staging system, TNF-a levels in Stage I were higher than Stage III (p=0. 035). According to IPI, TGF-β levels in patients with IPI-1 were higher than the patients with IPI-2 (p=0. 017) and IPI-3 (p=0. 003). The pathogenesis of MM is stil unclear. In this study, although VEGF did not increase, increment in the levels of Ang-2 and other growth factors indicated the induction of angiogenesis in MM. In earlier stage, this condition may be apparent. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shengming Deng ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Yeye Zhou ◽  
Xin Xu ◽  
Jihui Li ◽  
...  

We aimed at comparing the Durie–Salmon Plus (DS Plus) staging system based on Italian Myeloma criteria for PET USe (IMPeTUs) with other two staging systems in predicting prognosis of patients with all stages of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM). A total of 33 MM patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The variation between the DS Plus classification and Durie–Salmon staging system (DSS) or Revised International Staging System (RISS) classification was assessed. When staged by the DSS, patients in stage I and stage II did not reach the median overall survival (OS), and the median OS was 33 months for stage III (p=0.3621). When staged by the DS Plus, patients in stage I did not reach the median OS of stage I, and the median OS for stages II and III was 38 and nine months, respectively (p=0.0064). When staged by the RISS, patients in stage I did not reach the median OS, and the median OS was 33 and 16 months for stage II and stage III, respectively (p=0.0319). The concordances between two staging systems were 0.07 (DS Plus versus DSS) and 0.37 (DS Plus versus RISS), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that DS Plus stage III (HR: 11.539,p=0.021) and the Deauville score of bone marrow ≥4 (HR: 3.487,p=0.031) were independent prognostic factors associated with OS. Both the DS Plus based on IMPeTUs and RISS possessed a better potential in characterizing and stratifying MM patients compared with the DSS. Moreover, DS Plus stage III and the Deauville score of bone marrow ≥4 were reliable prognostic factors in newly diagnosed MM patients.


Blood ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 126 (23) ◽  
pp. 2115-2115
Author(s):  
Mark A Fiala ◽  
Michael Slade ◽  
Jesse Keller ◽  
Keith Stockerl-Goldstein ◽  
Michael Tomasson ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The clinical presentation of multiple myeloma (MM) varies greatly but often includes bone pain, anemia, renal dysfunction, hypercalcaemia, and/or constitutional symptoms. There are no signs or symptoms that are disease specific. The earliest staging system for MM, the Durie-Salmon (DS), associated disease and symptom burden with prognosis; however, it has been largely replaced by the International Staging System (ISS), which is easier to compute and better identifies patients with the poorest prognosis. It is unclear if ISS stage, like DS, is associated with disease or symptom burden. Objective: To compare disease and symptom burden of patients with newly diagnosed MM by ISS Stage. Methods: Data was extracted from the open-access Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Researcher Gateway corresponding with interim analysis 6 from the CoMMpass study. The CoMMpass study is enrolling 1000 newly diagnosed MM patients who will be tracked longitudinally for 5 years. CoMMpass collects relevant clinical data and patient reported quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-MY20), as well as sequential tissue samples. Eligibility requirements for CoMMpass include: symptomatic MM with measureable disease by SPEP (≥1.0g/dL), UPEP (≥200mg/24 hours), or SFLC (≥10mg/dL); receiving an immunomodulator and/or a proteasome inhibitor for initial MM treatment; and no prior malignancies in the past 5 years. All clinical data was reported by trained data analysts at the enrolling center with the exception of flow cytometry which was performed centrally; raw lab values for beta-2 microglobulin and albumin were entered and stage was subsequently calculated by the analysts for this study according to the ISS (Greipp et al, JCO 2005). Twenty-six patients with unknown ISS were excluded from the analysis. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Categorical variables were compared using χ2, continuous with one-way ANOVA tests. Results: 599 patients were eligible for analysis. Sex, race, and heavy and light chain isotypes were all evenly distributed among the ISS stages; however, median age for ISS stage III was 67, 65 for stage II and 62 for stage I (p<0.001). Stage I and II patients were similar in disease burden, but stage III patients had higher serum M-proteins (p<0.001), LDH (p=0.002), bone marrow plasma cells (p<0.001), circulating plasma cells (p<0.001), and creatinine (p<0.001), and lower hemoglobin (p<0.001) and platelets (p=0.001). Further, stage III patients had poorer performance status (p<0.001), global health (p<0.001), physical functioning (p<0.001), social functioning (p<0.001), and role functioning (p<0.001), and increased fatigue (p<0.001) and pain (p=0.016). Results are summarized in Table 1. Conclusions: Stage III had a higher disease and symptom burden than stage I and II patients. Stage I and II patients were similar in most measures suggesting that ISS may not discriminate between these groups well, this is supported by other studies that have failed to find outcomes differences between stage I and II patients. Table 1. Stage I n= 204 Stage II n = 210 Stage IIIn = 185 p Demographics Age in years 62 65 67 <0.001 Male 64% 57% 62% NS Race NS White 80% 83% 74% Black 19% 13% 23% Other 2% 3% 3% Heavy Chain NS IgG 80% 80% 75% IgA 20% 20% 25% Light Chain NS Kappa 65% 61% 60% Lambda 34% 38% 38% Biclonal 1% 2% 2% Disease Burden Serum M-Protein g/dL 1.9 2.0 3.2 <0.001 LDH μkat/L 2.7 2.8 3.0 0.002 Bone Marrow Plasma Cells* 7% 9% 13% <0.001 Circulating Plasma Cells* 0% 0% 0.1% <0.001 Calcium mmol/L 2.4 2.3 2.4 <0.001 Creatinine μmol/L 82 88 149 <0.001 Hgb mmol/L 7.4 6.4 5.8 <0.001 Platelets x109/L 222 212 199 .001 Bone Lesions 61% 52% 53% NS Symptom Burden/Quality of Life Measures ECOG Performance Status <0.001 0 47% 42% 22% 1 49% 42% 54% 2 5% 8% 15% 3-4 0% 8% 9% Global Health Scale 66 66 50 <0.001 Physical Functioning Scale 86 80 63 <0.001 Cognitive Functioning Scale 83 83 83 NS Emotional Functioning Scale 75 75 75 NS Social Functioning Scale 83 83 66 <0.001 Role Functioning Scale 66 66 50 <0.001 Disease Symptom Scale 27 22 27 NS Fatigue Scale 33 33 44 <0.001 Pain Scale 33 33 42 0.016 Note-Median presented unless specified. *- CD38+/CD138+ by flow cytometry Disclosures Vij: Takeda, Onyx: Research Funding; Celgene, Onyx, Takeda, Novartis, BMS, Sanofi, Janssen, Merck: Consultancy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 2230-2237
Author(s):  
Jun Xia ◽  
Lingling Wang ◽  
Xin Zhou ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Huan Wang ◽  
...  

Objectives This study was performed to analyze the risk factors for early mortality (EM) in elderly patients undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma (MM) in real-world clinical practice. Methods Retrospective data from 108 elderly patients who were newly diagnosed with MM from January 2007 to July 2015 were analyzed in a single hematology center. EM was defined as death of any cause within 12 months after diagnosis. A multivariate regression model was used to evaluate EM. Results EM occurred in 16 (14.8%) elderly patients with newly diagnosed MM. The most common cause of death was infection (10/16, 62.5%). In the multivariate analysis, only an age of ≥75 years, International Staging System (ISS) stage III disease, and high lactate dehydrogenase concentration were significantly and independently associated with EM. Conclusion Our results suggest that infection is the leading cause of EM in elderly patients with MM. An age of ≥75 years, ISS stage III disease, and a high lactate dehydrogenase concentration are significant predictors of EM. We should further target this higher-risk patient population to define personalized therapy with which to improve outcomes.


Blood ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (21) ◽  
pp. 5049-5049
Author(s):  
Angel Ruedas ◽  
Pablo Guisado ◽  
Beatriz Aguado ◽  
Ricardo Perez ◽  
Joaquin Martinez ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 5049 Background. Treatment of frail or elderly patients with relapsing symptomatic/active Multiple Myeloma (MM) is very difficult due to concomitant diseases, impaired bone marrow reserve, systemic toxicity, relatively decreased renal function and general problems of old age. Dexamethasone and new agents (thalidomide, lenalidomide, bortezomib and bendamustine) have been used in this setting, in most cases with doses adapted to the clinical situation. Aims. To retrospectively analyze the management of frail and/or very elderly MM patients with relapsed and active disease treated with reduced doses of the aforementioned agents in five hospitals in Madrid, Spain. Methods. The files of this group of MM patients were studied. The most common treatment has been the combination of low doses of lenalidomide (len) and of dexamethasone (dex), whereas treatment with reduced doses of other agents has been anecdotal; therefore we analyzed the results of len/dex combinations. Len and dex have been used in lower than standard doses, adapted to the individual initial situation of the patients and tailored according to effect and toxicity throughout treatment. There was no specific protocol and the management of the patients has depended exclusively on the practice and criteria of the treating physicians. Patient risk was stratified following the Salmon and Durie (S&D) score and the International Staging System (ISS). Response was assessed with the IMWG criteria. The study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Hospital Ramon y Cajal, as coordinating center. Results. 38 patients were included in the study. Mean age was 79 years (range 68–90). 30 pts (79%) were older than 75 years and 10 pts had over 85 years. More than half of the patients (21) had two or more comorbidities. Patients had previously received 1 to 5 (m=1. 8) different treatment modalities, including steroids, melphalan (25), bortezomib (20), thalidomide (6) (or their combinations), and others or even APBSCT (3). 23 pts (60%) had IgG (m=4087 mg/dl, range 868–13000); 13 (34%) IgA (m=2115, range 355–4930) and 2 (5%) only light chains. 22 had κ and 15 λ light chains. 19 (50%) had BJ proteinuria. Mean Hemoglobin level was 10. 7 gr/dl (7. 5–14. 1) and mean creatinine level 1. 3 mg/dl (0. 4–12. 9); 28 (74%) had bone disease. 3 pts had S&D stage I, 22 stage II, and another 13 stage III. 13 pts had ISS stage I, 17 had stage II and 7 stage III. Patients received between 1 and 30 cycles of len/dex (m= 8). Median initial Len dose was 10 mg, the majority between 5 and 15mg, although 4 received 25 mg that were rapidly reduced. Mean initial dex dose was 20mg/day for 4 days. 4 pts (10. 5%) achieved Complete Remission (CR) (3 with negative IF), 27 (71%) Partial Remission (PR) (5 with VGPR) and 2 (5%) a significant, but lesser than 50%, reduction of the M-component (Stable Disease, Std). Altogether, overall response (CR+PR+Std) occurred in 33 pts (86%). The best response occurred after 2 to 9 cycles (m=4) of len/dex. Treatment was stopped in 15 patients due to neurological (4) or hematological (1) toxicity, pulmonary embolism (1), unrelated causes (4) and after achieving a plateau response (5). Time to next treatment was 1–30 months, (m=8 mo). 7 pts relapsed after 3–21 months (m=7). 10 patients died, 5 of related (disease progression, cardiac amyloidosis, renal progression to ESRF) and 5 of unrelated (cancer, sepsis, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure) causes. Grade III-IV bone marrow toxicity occurred in 9 pts and neurological toxicity (PNP) in 5 (all of them had previously been treated with bortezomib or thalidomide). Conclusions. Personalized low doses of len/dex have been the most common treatment for frail/very elderly patients with relapsed MM in our centers and it is an active and tolerable option in this setting. The haematological toxicity was expectable and manageable, but prior treatments with bortezomib or thalidomide were associated with limiting neurotoxicity. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Blood ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 132 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 4438-4438
Author(s):  
Jin-Liern Hong ◽  
Victoria Crossland ◽  
Aaron Galaznik ◽  
Paul Dolin

Abstract Background: The International Staging System (ISS) based on serum beta-2 microglobulin and serum albumin is a useful tool for risk stratification in patients with multiple myeloma. ISS is usually assessed at the time of diagnosis. Recent studies have suggested that risk stratification should be considered dynamic over the disease course. Our study aimed to describe dynamic changes in ISS over time and their impacts on mortality in patients with advanced multiple myeloma. Methods: This study included 417 patients with multiple myeloma from the Flatiron medical records database (Jan 2011- May 2018) who have received at least two lines of therapy and had data on ISS at the time of diagnosis (TDX) and at the time of initiating the second line of therapy (T2L). ISS stage was either abstracted from medical records or derived from the results of laboratory tests of serum beta-2 microglobulin and serum albumin. Patients were followed up from T2L until the earliest event of the last activity in database or death. We calculated mortality rates by TDX and T2L ISS stages, and generated Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the impact of TDX and T2L ISS stages on mortality. Additionally, in the subgroup of patients in ISS stage III at TDX, we used univariate logistic models to identify the predictors for downward shift to ISS stage I or II at T2L. Results: The study cohort had a median age of 70 (interquartile range: 61 to 77), and 59% were male. Based on ISS at TDX, 30%, 37%, and 33% of the study cohort were classified as stage I, II, and III with the mortality rate of 12, 11, and 24 deaths per 100 person-years, respectively. The hazard ratios were 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.57-1.61) for patients in stage II and 1.96 (95% CI: 1.22-3.16) for patients in stage III, compared with patients in stage I. Based on ISS at T2L, 47%, 34%, and 20% were classified as stage I, II, and III, with the mortality rate of 7, 19, and 39 deaths per 100 person-years, respectively. The hazard ratios were 2.62 (95% CI: 1.61-4.25) for patients in stage II and 5.18 (95% CI: 3.10-8.64) for patients in stage III, compared with patients in stage I. Dynamic changes in ISS stages over time and mortality rates were depicted in the Table. Among patients in ISS stage I at TDX, about 25% shifted to higher stages at T2L, and had a higher mortality rate (26 per 100 person-years) than did patients remaining in stage I (8 per 100 person-years). For patients in ISS stage II at TDX, 43% stayed in Stage II at T2L, and 46% moved down to Stage I, with a mortality rate of 20 and 5 per 100 person-years, respectively. Among patients in ISS stage III at TDX, 58% moved down to lower stages at T2L. The mortality rate was 10, 21, and 40 per 100 person-years for patients moving down to Stage I and II at T2L and those remaining in Stage III, respectively. In the subgroup of patients in ISS stage III at TDX, strong predictors for shifting down to lower stages were younger age (odds ratio: 2.65; 95% CI:1.20-5.87 for age <65 vs ≥65 years) and serum creatinine ≤ 2 mg/dL at TDX (odds ratio: 2.26; 95% CI:1.03-4.92 for serum creatinine ≤ 2 vs >2 mg/dL), but not gender, race, or cytogenetic abnormality of del17p, t(4;14), and t(14;16). Conclusion: Large changes in ISS stages were observed in multiple myeloma patients when advancing the line of therapy. Changes in ISS stage were also associated with survival outcome. A downward shift to stage I was associated with substantially improved overall survival; in contrast, patients moving up to or remaining in higher stages had poor outcomes, especially for those remaining in ISS stage III. Our results suggest that re-evaluating ISS stage at the time of change in line of therapy can improve prediction of survival outcomes. Disclosures Hong: Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Employment. Crossland:Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Employment. Galaznik:Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Employment. Dolin:Shire: Other: PD holds shares in Shire ; GSK: Other: PD holds shares in GSK; Takeda Pharmaceuticals International Co.: Employment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiantian Wang ◽  
Xin Peng ◽  
Wenli Qiao ◽  
Yan Xing ◽  
Jiqin Yang ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 38-50
Author(s):  
N. V. Skvortsova ◽  
I. B. Kovynev ◽  
K. V. Halzov ◽  
T. I. Pospelova

Background. The prognosis of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) is significantly different depending on the biological characteristics of the tumor substrate, the microenvironment of the bone marrow, as well as factors associated with the patient’s body. Therefore, the search for new reliable and easily identifiable prognostic markers is relevant for the effective management of patients with this disease.The objective of the study was to assess the prognostic value of the study of serum free light chains (FLC) of immunoglobulins κ and λ and their ratio κ / λ FLC in the blood serum of patients with newly diagnosed MM in real clinical practice.Materials and methods. 369 patients with first diagnosed MM (134 men and 235 women) were examined who were hospitalized in the hematology department of the City Clinical Hospital No. 2 Novosibirsk in the period since January 2012 to December 2017. The median age of the patients was 67 (32–82) years. All patients received induction courses of chemotherapy based on bortezomib. The control group consisted of 56 conditionally healthy individuals: 34 women (60.7 %) and 22 (39.3 %) men with a median age of 62 (40–68) years. The concentration of FLC-κ and FLC-λ (mg / L) in blood serum was determined by immunoturbidimetric method on a Hitachi 911 automated biochemical analyzer using the Freelite Human Lambda and Freelite Human Kappa reagent kits (Binding Site, Great Britain).Results. It was found that in patients with MM, the concentration of serum FLC-κ or FLC-λ was statistically significantly higher compared to the control group and varied depending on the type of MM (p <0.001). The diagnostic sensitivity of the quantitative determination of FLC and their ratio for MM was 98.64 %, compared with 94.04 % in a standard immunochemical study. The values of the ratio κ / λ FLC <0.04 or> 65, as well as the concentration of FLC-κ and FLC-λ are higher than the median obtained in the whole group (FLC-κ ≥702 mg / L and FLC-λ ≥493.2 mg / L), correlate with known factors of poor prognosis for MM (with a high concentration of β2‑microglobulin (>3.5 mg / L) (r = 0.461; p <0.001), plasma cell bone marrow infiltration >60 % (r = 0.420; p <0.001), renal failure (creatinine >177 μmol / L) (r = 0.380; p = 0.002), and also with high lactate dehydrogenase activity (>450 U / L) (r = 0.520; p <0.001) and is associated with poor outcomes. The median overall survival in the group of patients with κ / λ FLC <0.04 or >65 was 49 months compared to 76 months in the group with κ / λ FLC 0.04–65 (log-rank p = 0.012).Conclusion. The determination of free FLC in the blood serum of patients with MM can be used to assess the prognosis of their survival. The value of the κ / λ FLC ratio <0.04 or >65 allows us to divide patients with MM into risk groups with significantly different outcomes and can be used to identify patients at high risk who need more aggressive therapy and more detailed monitoring of the response.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3321-3321
Author(s):  
Olga Pokrovskaya ◽  
Larisa Mendeleeva ◽  
Irina Kaplanskaya ◽  
Elena Parovichnikova ◽  
Sergei Kulikov ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND. Angiogenesis is a constant hallmark of multiple myeloma (MM) progression. It has also been reported that bone marrow angiogenesis is a predictive factor of poor survival in newly diagnosed myeloma. The aim of the current study was to investigate the dynamics of bone marrow (BM) microvessel density (MVD) in patients undergoing high-dose therapy (HDT) and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS. 36 patients with newly diagnosed MM (22 in stage II and 14 in stage III according to Salmon and Durie) were included in the study – 21 male and 15 female, median age – 51 ys (range 31–67). All patients underwent HDT that included 3–4 cycles of induction therapy (VAD), stem cell mobilization with cyclophosphamide 6 g/m2 and G-CSF 5 mcg/kg, EDAP and single or tandem ASCT with melphalan 200 mg/ m2. The BM biopsies for histological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed at the time of diagnosis, after induction, after stem cell mobilization before the 1st ASCT and after the end of therapy (5 times during the treatment). The Control group consisted of normal BM donors (7 male and 3 female, median age 29, (17–59)) who underwent BM biopsy during BM harvesting for alloBMT. Blood vessels were highlighted by immunostaining of endothelial cells with a monoclonal antibody to CD34 (Novocastra Lab Ltd). The MVD was calculated in 10 fields using an 40x objective and 16x ocular lens. RESULTS. At diagnosis in all MM pts, MVD was extremely high compared to normal donors (152±8 vs 74±4). A significant decrease of BM MVD was observed after each phase of therapy: after the induction therapy the MVD was 124±6; before the 1st ASCT – 109±5 and at the end of treatment – 97±3. There was a statistically significant increase of MVD after stem cell mobilization due to G-CSF (143±4). Although there was a marked decrease of BM MVD in MM pts with CR or VGPR, it nevertheless stayed significantly higher compared with control group (p<0,001). The analysis of probability of CR or VGPR duration after ASCT according to MVD at different phases of therapy showed that MVD at diagnosis and before the 1-st ASCT are important prognostic factors. Probability of duration of CR or VGPR was 63% in group with low MVD before the 1st ASCT compared with 15% in group with high MVD (p<0,02). MVD was revealed to be more powerful prognostic factor for progression free survival (PFS) then CR or VGPR achievement. CONCLUSION. BM angiogenesis is increased in patients with MM. BM MVD is decreased during and after treatment however even after the completion of HDT and ASCT, the MVD is higher then in the normal control group. There is a statistically significant increase of MVD after stem cell mobilization with cyclophosphamide and G-CSF. MVD at the time of diagnosis and before the 1-st ASCT are important prognostic factors for overall-survival and PFS after ASCT. MVD before the 1-st ASCT appears to be a more powerful prognostic factor for PFS then remission rate.


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 4950-4950
Author(s):  
Angel Ruedas ◽  
Ricardo Perez ◽  
Valentin Garcia ◽  
Alicia Smucler ◽  
Pilar Bravo ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 4950 Background & Aims The management of elderly patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) previously treated requiring further therapy (although in most cases palliative) is very difficult due to the presence of concomitant diseases, decreased bone marrow reserve, systemic toxicity, relatively decreased renal function and general problems of old age. As in this setting the tolerability of standard doses of conventional chemotherapy, high doses of dexamethasone or IMiDs is a concern, we report the preliminary results of the combination of tailored low doses of lenalidomide (len) and low doses of dexamethasone (dex). Methods We retrospective analyze the results of the combination of low dose lenalidomide and low dose of dexamethasone (len/dex) in 14 patients aged over 70 years with pretreated MM and progressive disease. Low doses of len (5-10 mg daily for 21days) were initially given and flexibly modified in subsequent cycles according to response and toxicity, along with low doses of dex (20-40 mg/day for 4 days) in most (12) patients. G-CSF and red cell transfusions were used when needed. Patient risk was stratified following the Salmon and Durie (S&D) score and the International Staging System (ISS). Response was assessed with the IMWG criteria. Results Median age was 80 years (70-90). All patients had received between 2-5 different previous modality treatments (m=2), including bortezomib (7), thalidomide (4) or PBSCT (2). 11 pts had IgG, m=3397mg/dl (868-4990), 2 IgA m=1460 (1050-1870) and another one BJ. 9 pts had κ and 4 » light chains. Median Hemoglobin level was 10 gr/dl (7.2-11.4) and median creatinine level 1.19 mg/dl (0.75-1.63). 11 (78%) had bone disease. 9 pts had S&D stage II, 4 stage III and another one stage I. 7 pts had ISS stage II, 4 had stage I and 2 stage III. Patients received between 2 and 13 cycles of len/dex (m=6.8). 11 pts (78%) achieved Partial Remission (PR) and 2 (14%) achieved significant, but lesser that 50%, reduction of the M-component (Stable Disease: Std). Overall response (PR+Std) occurred in 13/14 patients (92.8%). The best response occurred between 2-12 cycles of len/dex. Grade III-IV bone marrow toxicity occurred in 5 pts (35 %) and neurological toxicity (PNP) in 5 pts (35%) (all of them had received previous bortezomib or thalidomide). Treatment was stopped in 6 pts: for unrelated causes (1), due to neurological (3) or haematological (1) toxicity and in 2 pts after achieving Std and both relapsed after 3 months. Conclusions Treatment with tailored low doses of lenalidomide and low doses of dexamethasone (len/dex) is an active and tolerable option for previously treated elderly patients with symptomatic MM. Low lenalidomide doses can be flexibly modified according to the quality of the response and the hematological toxicity that is expectable and manageable. Previous treatments with bortezomib or thalidomide is associated with neurotoxicity. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


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