Martin H Kropff | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Bortezomib in combination with dexamethasone for relapsed multiple myeloma.

Fifteen patients with advanced multiple myeloma were scheduled to receive bortezomib 1.3 mg/m2 IV days 1, 4, 8, and 11 every 3 weeks for eight cycles in combination with dexamethasone. One patient (7%) achieved a complete response, 10 (67%) a partial response, and one (7%) a minor response (MR) resulting in an overall response rate (> or = MR) of 80% (9/9 with > or = 2nd untreated and 3/6 with refractory relapse). Responses occurred after a median of 3 weeks and were independent of conventional prognostic parameters including deletion of chromosome 13. Adverse events, mainly myelosuppression, neuropathy and fatigue, were manageable.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide in combination with pulsed dexamethasone and thalidomide (HyperCDT) in primary refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma.

Sixty patients with advanced multiple myeloma received 2-6 monthly treatment courses combining hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide (300 mg/m2 i.v. over 3 h q 12 h x 6, d 1-3) with pulsed dexamethasone (20 mg/m2/d p.o., d 1-4, 9-12, 17-20) and once daily thalidomide at individually escalating doses (100-400 mg/d) depending on tolerability (HyperCDT). Responding patients were maintained on daily thalidomide and monthly dexamethasone pulses. Complete, partial and minor response rates were 4%, 68% and 12% respectively; overall response rate was 84% (efficacy analysis). Median event-free and overall survival was 11 and 19 months respectively. During at least one treatment cycle, 67% of patients experienced grade 4 neutropenia resulting in 17% grade 3 and 9% grade 4 infections. Side-effects, presumably related to thalidomide, included neuropathy (40% grade 2, 16% grade 3), constipation (17%), oedema (5%), bradycardia (5%), skin reactions (3%), cerebrovascular events (5%) and deep vein thromboses (8%). Thromboses were not related to known thrombophilic risk factors. Four patients with prior myeloma therapy > 50 months developed myelodysplastic syndrome or secondary acute myeloid leukaemia 2-4 months after study entry. HyperCDT is a highly active and reasonably well-tolerated salvage regimen in advanced or refractory multiple myeloma.

Acute Disease↗