High-dose therapy in patients with plasma cell dyscrasias and renal dysfunction

Multiple mycloma causes a disproportionate amount of the malignancy-related renal insufficiency. Acute renal insufficiency in myeloma patients can occur due to dehydration, hypercalcemia, side effects of medications (NSAIDs) or tumor lysis syndrome in addition to cast nephropathy, amyloidosis and light chain deposition disease. Patients on hemodialysis have traditionally been excluded from antineoplastic therapy due to fear of side effects and lack of studies addressing benefit. Melphalan is the most effective chemotherapeutic agent in myeloma and its PK (pharmacokinetics) are not adversely affected by impaired renal function. Because of more pronounced toxicity of Melphalan 200 mg/m2 conditioning regimen, Melphalan 140 mg/m2 has become the standard of care. 24% of patients become dialysis-independent at a median of 4 months after autotransplantation. Favorable factors for becoming dialysis independent were duration of dialysis 10 ml/min. While no good data are available on the use of thalidomide in the presence of renal failure, it is our experience that severe neuropathy, constipation, lethargy and bradycardia are more frequent in patients with creatinine >or=3 mg/dl. It has become apparent that bisphosphanates-zoledronic acid more than pamidronate-cause renal dysfunction. If patients remain dialysis-dependent after autotransplantation, we recommend to delay considering a renal transplant until at least 3 years after the first transplant.