[Comparative efficacy of PD and VAD regimens for multiple myeloma]

This study was aimed to compare the efficacy and adverse effects of PD (bortezomib + dexamethasone) and VAD (vincristine + adriamycin + dexamethasone) as regimens for treatment of multiple myeloma patients. 21 and 31 multiple myeloma patients were enrolled in the PD and VAD groups respectively which received 2 to 5 courses of treatments, and both clinical effects and adverse reactions were observed. In the all 52 patients, 48 were newly diagnosed and the other 4 patients had accepted 1 to 2 courses of M2 or MP treatment, but didn't get PR. In 52 patients, 4, 4, 8 and 5 patients accepted 2, 3, 4 and 5 courses of PD regimen respectively, while 6, 11, 12 and 2 patients accepted 2, 3, 4 and 5 courses of VAD regimen respectively. The results indicated that the rate of good efficacy (both CR and VGPR) in PD group was 57.1%, while the rate of good efficacy in VAD group was 16.1%, there was significant difference (p = 0.0052). The percentage of patients who got CR, VGPR and PR in PD and VAD groups were 95.2% and 74.2% respectively, there was no significant difference (p = 0.1108). The incidences of adverse effects in 2 groups were similar, which included hematological toxicity, liver and kidney functional lesion, peripheral neuropathy, infection, interstitial pneumonia. It is concluded that compared with conventional VAD chemotherapy, PD may improve CR and VGPR rate in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma, meanwhile it does not bring about more and worse toxicity.