High-Dose Melphalan With Autotransplantation for Refractory Multiple Myeloma: Results of a Southwest Oncology Group Phase II Trial

1999 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2173-2173 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Vesole ◽  
John J. Crowley ◽  
Rose Catchatourian ◽  
Patrick J. Stiff ◽  
David B. Johnson ◽  
...  

PURPOSE: To evaluate high-dose melphalan followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation in patients with refractory multiple myeloma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Multiple myeloma patients with alkylating agent or vincristine/doxorubicin/dexamethasone–refractory disease were eligible for the phase II multi-institutional Southwest Oncology Group trial S8993. Patients up to age 70 years were enrolled between April 15, 1991, and May 1, 1996. Patients without prior stem-cell collection were primed with high-dose cyclophosphamide (HD-CTX; 6 g/m2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. After stem-cell procurement, patients received melphalan 200 mg/m2 with autologous transplantation. Upon recovery from melphalan, patients were to receive interferon alfa-2b until relapse. RESULTS: Seventy-two patients were enrolled onto S8993; five were ineligible and one received no therapy. Of the 66 assessable patients, 56 patients underwent the transplant procedure; 54 were assessable for response and 56 for toxicity. The response to HD-CTX (n = 37) included three complete remissions (CRs; 8%) and five partial remissions (PR; 14%); response to melphalan (n = 54) included 16 CRs (30%) and 19 PRs (35%), for an overall CR and ≥ PR (n = 66; intent-to-treat) of 27% and 58%, respectively. Toxicities included six treatment-related deaths: two during HD-CTX and four during transplantation. The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) durations on an intent-to-treat basis from transplant registration was 11 months and 19 months (95% confidence interval, 14 to 29 months), respectively. The 3-year actuarial PFS and OS rates were 25% and 31%, respectively. CONCLUSION: High-dose therapy with melphalan 200 mg/m2 is feasible with high response rates (58% overall) and an OS of 19 months in patients with refractory multiple myeloma.

Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 446-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Straka ◽  
Peter Liebisch ◽  
Burkhard Hennemann ◽  
Bernd Metzner ◽  
Hans Salwender ◽  
...  

Abstract The concept of the DSMM 2 study was to give age-adjusted high-dose treatment to elderly myeloma patients in order to balance efficacy and toxicity. The value of conventional induction chemotherapy before high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation and the durability of unmaintaned remissions afterwards was addressed. Between September 2001 and September 2006, 434 multiple myeloma patients 60–70 years of age with 0–1 cycle of pretreatment were recruited from 45 centers. The median age was 65 years. The patients were randomized to receive 4 cycles of conventional induction chemotherapy [A1] (n=216; VAD or idarubicin/Dex in 88%) or no induction chemotherapy [A2] (n=218). Instead of induction chemotherapy, patients in [A2] received only one short course of dexamethasone 40 mg orally (days 1–4 and 8–11). Subsequently, stem cells were mobilized after combination chemotherapy with ifosfamide, epirubicin and etoposide (IEV) followed by G-CSF; stem cells could be collected in 97% of the patients. Then the patients proceeded to tandem MEL140 (melphalan 140 mg/m2) and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with a time interval between high-dose cycles of 2 months. No consolidation or maintenance treatment was scheduled. Analyses were performed in an intent-to-treat approach. 87% of patients completed the first transplant, 74% the second. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated and grade 3/4 infections and stomatitis after high-dose melphalan occurred in 37% and 9% of patients, respectively. The overall mortality (tumor and/or toxicity) during treatment was 7.1%: 4.5% during the induction phase (6.1% in [A1] versus 2.9% in [A2]), 1.5% after mobilization and 1.1% after high-dose therapy. Notably, the best response (EBMT criteria) at the end of treatment in patients randomized to [A1] (16% CR, 64% PR) or [A2] (18% CR, 69% PR) was not different. An early loss of tumor control with disease progression occurred in 6% in [A1] versus 1% in [A2]. With a median follow-up time of 20 months, there was no significant difference in the median event-free survival (EFS) (22 months in [A1] versus 20 months in [A2]) and not in the overall survival (OS) at 4 years (63% in [A1] versus 65% in [A2]). In ≥ 50% of patients, the time between last treatment and progression was > 16 months. The EFS of patients 60–64 years of age and 65–70 years of age was the same. In conclusion, there was no benefit of conventional induction chemotherapy with VAD- or VAD-like regimens in patients receiving tandem MEL140 with autologous transplantation. This induction treatment therefore may be avoided. Tandem-MEL140 is feasible and well tolerated in the majority of elderly patients with symptomatic myeloma. Its profound and durable anti-tumor effect was demonstrated by prolonged unmaintained remissions. The addition of new agents given as consolidation or maintenance probably will further improve treatment results.


Blood ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 124 (21) ◽  
pp. 3969-3969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Straka ◽  
Kerstin Schaefer-Eckart ◽  
Florian Bassermann ◽  
Hansen Timon ◽  
Bernd Hertenstein ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Lenalidomide with low-dose dexamethasone (Rd) is an emerging treatment option for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with higher age. However, many older patients also remain candidates for autologous transplantation especially with age-adjustment of high-dose melphalan. Potentially, high-dose therapy could add to the benefit of Rd, alternatively the effect of high-dose therapy could be more or less redundant in this setting. The DSMM XIII trial is a multicenter, open-label, phase III trial comparing the safety and efficacy of continuous Rd versus Rd induction followed by age-adjusted tandem high-dose melphalan with autologous transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma with symptomatic and measurable disease of age 60-75 years were randomly assigned to either (A1) lenalidomide (25 mg po d1-21/28d) with low-dose dexamethasone (Rd) (40 mg po d1, d8, d15, d22/d28) for 3 cycles followed by stem cell mobilization and continued Rd until progression or (A2) 3 cycles of Rd, followed by stem cell mobilization, tandem high-dose melphalan 140 mg2 (MEL140) with autologous blood stem cell transplantation and lenalidomide maintenance 10 mg daily until progression. At randomization, patients were stratified according to age (≤70 years vs >70 years) and ISS stage (I, II vs III). Antithrombotic prophylaxis with low molecular weight (LMW) heparin or aspirin was recommended. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and secondary endpoints included safety, responses, overall survival and others. We report the results of the planned first interim analysis after occurrence of one third of events as pre-specified. Results: Since March 2010, 253 patients have been randomized and data of 251 patients were available for analysis. The median age was 68 years (range 59-75), 30% were older than 70 years, 34% had ISS stage I, 37% ISS stage II, and 29% ISS stage III. The median PFS for the whole study population (A1 and A2) was 37.3 months. The comparison of PFS by randomization arm did not meet the formal criteria for early termination of the trial. The overall response rate after 3 cycles of Rd (A1 and A2) was 75%, with 2% demonstrating complete response (CR), 21% very good partial response (VGPR) and 52% partial response (PR). A further 20% of patients had stable disease and 6% of patients progressive disease. The 3-year-survival rate is 75% (95% confidence interval, 68-84) for all patients and with respect to ISS stage amounted to 90% (CI: 81-99, ISS stage I), 78% (CI: 66-91, ISS stage II) and 51% (CI: 35-74, ISS stage III). For the two age groups, the 3-year-survival was 73% (CI: 64-84) in patients with age ≤70 years and 80% (CI: 68-94) in patients with age >70 years. So far, 8 (3%) second primary malignancies (SPM) were observed, 4 skin tumors and 4 other solid tumors, but no hematological SPM was documented. Conclusion: In our trial, lenalidomide with low-dose dexamethasone (Rd) was found to be associated with a favorable median progression-free survival at 3 years. The survival in patients >70 years was not inferior compared to younger patients. The potential advantages and disadvantages of combining lenalidomide with high-dose melphalan and autologous transplantation in comparison to continous Rd are addressed by this ongoing trial and further data will be presented at the meeting. Disclosures Straka: Celgene: Consultancy, Honoraria, Research Funding. Off Label Use: Lenalidomide for first-line treatment.


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