[Combination chemotherapy of multiple myeloma]

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

• Multiple myeloma is a progressive plasma cell malignancy.
• Effective first-line treatments are crucial for improving patient outcomes and survival rates.
• Previous chemotherapy regimens have shown varying degrees of efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of three combination chemotherapy regimens for progressive multiple myeloma.
• To compare remission and survival rates across different treatment arms.
• To identify an optimal first-line treatment for multiple myeloma.

Main Methods:

• A study involving seventy patients with progressive multiple myeloma.
• Administration of three distinct combination chemotherapy regimens: cyclophosphamide and prednisolone (CP), BCNU, cyclophosphamide, procarbazine and prednisolone (BCPP), and MCNU, cyclophosphamide, melphalan and prednisolone (MCMP).
• Assessment of total remission rate, complete response (CR) rate, and survival rates (1-yr and 5-yr).

Main Results:

• Total remission rates were 76.2% (CP), 86.1% (BCPP), and 91% (MCMP).
• Complete response rates were 26.1% (CP), 33.3% (BCPP), and 63.7% (MCMP).
• One-year survival for MCMP was 91 +/- 8.7%; 5-year survival for CP and BCPP was 51.9% and 39.7%, respectively (not statistically significant).

Conclusions:

• The MCMP regimen demonstrated a significantly higher complete response rate compared to CP and BCPP.
• High CR rates are essential for achieving long-term survival or cure in multiple myeloma.
• MCMP therapy is recommended as a primary standard treatment for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients.