[New protocols for myeloma chemotherapy plus IFN alpha]

In two consecutive studies of a pilot study and a multicenter trial 16 patients and 61 patients, respectively, with multiple myeloma were treated with the combination chemotherapy (CMVM regimen; the same intermittent high dose dexamethasone as in VAD regimen, MCNU bolus injection of 1.2mg/m2 on day 1, melphalan 12mg/day on days 1-6) plus IFN alpha (HLBI 300MU every day or two) to assess the efficacy and the toxicity of this protocol. Both studies were achieved in the same regimen except for initial 12 days administration of IFN alpha in the multicenter trial. The treatment was repeated 3 times every 6-8 weeks. Complete remission (CR) in which serum and urine M protein disappeared and myeloma cells in bone marrow were eradicated was obtained in 6 in 16 patients (37.5%) in the pilot study and 16 in 61 patients (26.2%) in the multicenter trial. CR plus PR was 68.8% and 68.9% in two studies. The achievement of CR in such high proportion of patients may exhibit a significant advance in the myeloma therapy.