Treatment of multiple myeloma with high-dose chemotherapy and autologoushaematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation - a single centre experience

Introduction . Patients suffering from multiple myeloma treated with melphalan and prednizone survive three years on ave- rage. Recently a higher survival rate has been associated with high-dose chemotherapy followed by transplantation of haema- topoietic progenitor cells. This paper presents our experience with high-dose chemotherapy in the treatment of patients suffe- ring from multiple myeloma. Patients and methods . 31 patients with multiple myeloma were treated with autologous transplantation of progenitor cells from peripheral blood: 24 patients underwent a single transplantation, whereas 7 underwent double transplantation. Du- ring conditioning regimen melphalan was administered for the first transplantation, and melphalan or BEAM regimen for the second one. Results . 29 patients achieved complete haematological recovery, the regeneration of megakaryopoiesis being statistically de- layed after the second transplantation. There were 12 CR, 2 PR and 15 NR. Three year EFS was 31%, OS was 85%. The risk factor for EFS was late versus early transplant, and for OS it was renal failure. Conclusions . Results show that high-dose chemotherapy, followed by autologous transplantation of progenitor cells, is a re- latively low risk procedure (4%). and allows achieving long term remission.