Infusional mitoxantrone plus bolus melphalan as a stem cell transplant conditioning regimen for multiple myeloma

This study combined infusional mitoxantrone with bolus melphalan as a transplant preparative regimen for multiple myeloma. Mitoxantrone was infused over 6 hr on days 6 and 5. Melphalan was given as a 15 min bolus on day 1 followed by autologous transplant on day 0. Thirty-five patients were enrolled; 57% of enrollees had received ≥ 2 prior treatments. The median overall survival was 5 years and 8 months, with 37% of the subjects alive >7 years posttransplantation. Myelosuppression and mucositis were the most frequent adverse events. This regimen is well tolerated and the survival compares well to other transplant trials.