The choice of regimens based on bortezomib for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

Bortezomib has significantly improved multiple myeloma (MM) response rates, but strategies for choosing bortezomib-based regimens for initial MM therapy are not standardized. Here, we describe four bortezomib-based therapies in Chinese MM patients to determine the optimal chemotherapeutic approach.

Newly diagnosed symptomatic MM patients at three hematological centers between February 1, 2006 and May 31, 2013 were treated with therapies including bortezomib plus dexamethasone (PD) or combinations of PD with either adriamycin (PAD), cyclophosphamide (PCD) or thalidomide (PTD) for every 28 days.

The overall response rate of all the 215 eligible patients was 90.2%. The ORR for PCD, PAD, PTD and PD were 97.4%, 93.2%, 85.3% and 77.8% while the effects with VGPR or better were 63.7%, 62.7%, 44.2% and 37.8%, respectively. The effect of ORR, VGPR and CR/nCR for the PCD regimen was better than the PD protocol. Median PFS for all patients was 29.0 months with significant differences observed among treatment groups. Median OS of all the patients was not reached, but three-drug combinations were superior to PD alone. Frequently observed toxicities were neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, fatigue, infection, herpes zoster, and peripheral neuropathy. The incidence of peripheral neuropathy (PN) in PTD group was significantly higher than other three groups, especially grade 2-3 PN. Treatment with anti-viral agent acyclovir significantly reduced the incidence of herpes zoster.

Our experience indicated that bortezomib-based regimens were effective and well-tolerated in the Chinese population studied; three-drug combinations PCD, PAD were superior to PD, especially with respect to PCD.