[VCAP chemotherapy combined with interferon-alpha (HLBI) for elderly multiple myeloma]

VCAP chemotherapy combined with natural interferon-alpha (HBLI) was performed on elderly patients over 65 year with multiple myeloma (MM), and its clinical effects were compared with those of VCAP chemotherapy without HLBI on elderly MM and also with those of HLBI-VCAP and VCAP combination therapy on non-elderly MM. Sixteen elderly and 21 non-elderly patients received HLBI-VCAP combination therapy, whereas 12 elderly and 21 non-elderly patients were treated with VCAP chemotherapy alone. The remission rate (CR+PR) was 81% for the elderly HLBI-VCAP group, 58% for the elderly VCAP group, 90% for the non-elderly HLBI-VCAP group, and 76% for the non-elderly VCAP group. While the median survival time was 54 months for the elderly HLBI-VCAP group and 13.5 months for the elderly VCAP group, it was 70 months for non-elderly HLBI-VCAP group and 34.5 months for the non-elderly VCAP group. The survival time in the elderly HLBI-VCAP group was significantly longer than that in the elderly VCAP group. Therefore, improvement of survival in cases treated by interferon was much better in the elderly group than in the non-elderly group. These results indicate that HLBI-VCAP combination therapy is beneficial for the treatment of elderly MM.