10 years of experience with thalidomide in multiple myeloma patients: Report of the Czech Myeloma Group

• Authors: MINARIK Jiri; SANDECKÁ Viera; MAISNAR Vladimír; GREGORA Evzen; SPICKA Ivan; STAROSTKA David; PLONKOVÁ Hana; JARKOVSKÝ Jiří; WALTEROVA Lenka; WROBEL Marek; ADAMOVÁ Dagmar; PIKA Tomas; MELICHAROVÁ Hana; POUR Ludek; RADOCHA Jakub; PAVLICEK Petr; STRAUB Jan; GUMULEC Jaromir; BAČOVSKÝ Jaroslav; ADAM Zdeněk; SCUDLA Vlastimil; HAJEK Roman
• Year of publication: 2013
• Type: Article in Periodical
• Magazine / Source: Leukemia Research
• MU Faculty or unit: Faculty of Medicine
• Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leukres.2013.06.019
• Field: Oncology and hematology
• Keywords: Multiple myeloma; Thalidomide; Response rate; Prognostic factors; Combined regimens; Adverse events
• Description: We analyzed 1156 multiple myeloma (MM) patients treated with thalidomide. The overall response rate was 63.6%, with complete remission in 13.4%. Combined regimens had better outcomes than thalidomide plus dexamethasone or single agent thalidomide. Thalidomide was not able to overcome adverse cytogenetics. Superior results were seen in patients undergoing subsequent autologous stem cell transplantation. The rate of adverse events was low. Thalidomide has a strong potential to improve response and survival measures in patients with standard risk MM. Combined regimens should be used, with lower doses of thalidomide. High risk myelomas should be treated individually.

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