[Therapy of multiple myeloma. Results of sequential treatment with melphalan-prednisolone and the M2 protocol]

Melphalan and prednisolone were intermittently used for treatment of 101 patients with multiple myeloma. In case of progression, either initially or after remission or after a phase of stabilisation, treatment was changed to the M-2 protocol. By primary treatment, remission was obtained in 24 patients, a stable phase in 47 patients. The treatment of second choice which became necessary in a total of 46 patients led to remission in 5 patients (11%), 21 (46%) became stabilised and in 20 (43%) the disease progressed. The median survival time for all 101 patients was 40.5 months after commencement of treatment. In patients with remission it was clearly longer (67 months) than in those with stable disease (38.1 months) or in those with progression (16.8 months). The mean time of survival after commencement of treatment of second choice was 12.5 months. Compared to other studies the remission rates are slight, the time of survival, however, is very remarkable. The overall survival rates are equivalent to the results thus far obtained by more aggressive treatment schemes.