Pharmacovigilance of patients with multiple myeloma being treated with bortezomib and/or thalidomide

In order to evaluate the main adverse effects of drug protocols using bortezomib and/or thalidomide for the treatment of multiple myeloma, we conducted a prospective study. Data were collected through interviews, clinical observation, and from hospital records. A total of 59 patients were included. There was a predominance of females, 36 (61%) vs 23 (39%) males, and of whites, 49 (83.1%) vs 10 (16.9%) blacks. Age ranged from 40 to 94 years, with a median of 65 years (SD=11.6). Regarding staging at diagnosis, 27 (45.7%) patients were in stage III-A, with 12 (20.3%) patients having serum creatinine ≥2 mg/dL. The main adverse effects in the bortezomib treatment group (n=40) were: neutropenia (42.5%), diarrhea (47.5%), and peripheral neuropathy in 60% of cases, with no difference between the iv (n=26) and sc (n=14) administration routes (P=0.343). In the group treated with thalidomide (n=19), 31.6% had neutropenia, 47.4% constipation, and 68.4% peripheral neuropathy. Neutropenia was associated with the use of alkylating agents (P=0.038). Of the 3 patients who received bortezomib in combination with thalidomide, only 1 presented peripheral neuropathy (33.3%). Peripheral neuropathy was the main adverse effect of the protocols that used bortezomib or thalidomide, with a higher risk of neutropenia in those using alkylating agents. Improving the identification of adverse effects is critical in multiple myeloma patient care, as the patient shows improvements during treatment, and requires a rational and safe use of medicines.

Pralatrexate in Combination with Bortezomib for Relapsed or Refractory Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma in 5 Elderly Patients

Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of aggressive lymphomas with poor prognosis. Elderly (age ≥ 65years) patients generally have impaired bone marrow function, altered drug metabolism, comorbidities, and poor functional status. Thus, treatment of elderly patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL remains a challenge for clinicians. A recent study disclosed that pralatrexate has a synergistic effect in combination with bortezomib. Weekly pralatrexate and bortezomib were administered intravenously for 3 weeks in a 4-week cycle. Of 5 patients, one achieved complete response after 4 cycles which has lasted 12 months until now. Another patient attained partial response after 2 cycles. Only 1 patient experienced grade 3 thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. Two patients suffered from grade 3 mucositis. Combination therapy with pralatrexate and bortezomib may be used as a salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory PTCL in the elderly with a favorable safety profile.

Efectividad y seguridad de bortezomib y lenalidomida comparados con regímenes que no los contienen para pacientes con mieloma múltiple / Effectiveness and safety of bortezomib and lenalidomide compared to regimens that do not contain them for patients with multiple myeloma

Introducción: el mieloma múltiple (MM) es un desorden neoplásico de células plasmáticas que representa aproximadamente el 1% de las enfermedades neoplásicas y el 10% de las neoplasias hematológicas; la edad promedio de diagnóstico es de 70 años. Se clasifica como asintomático y sintomático, de acuerdo con el compromiso de órganos o tejidos, el cual se caracteriza por elevación del calcio sérico, insuficiencia renal, anemia y enfermedad ósea. La introducción del trasplante de progenitores hematopoyéticos (TPH) y la disponibilidad de nuevos medicamentos, ha modificado el tratamiento y mejorado su pronóstico. Objetivo: evaluar los beneficios y riesgos del uso de bortezomib y lenalidomida para el tratamiento de pacientes con mieloma múltiple. Metodología: se realizó una búsqueda de evidencia en las bases de datos: MEDLINE, EMBASE, la Librería Cochrane y LILACS. Dos evaluadores de manera independiente, tamizaron las referencias obtenidas, resolviendo las discrepancias por consenso. La calidad de los estudios seleccionados fue evaluada empleando la herramienta AMSTAR. Resultados: se identificaron 29 referencias, de las cuales se incluyeron 3 revisiones sistemáticas de alta calidad. Se presentan los datos de efectividad y seguridad de comparaciones entre regímenes que contienen bortezomib o lenalidomida con aquellos que no contienen estos agentes, en términos de parámetros de respuesta específica, supervivencia libre de progresión (SLP), supervivencia global (SG) y eventos adversos. Conclusiones: Tanto bortezomib como lenalidomida son alternativas terapéuticas efectivas para el tratamiento de inducción en pacientes con mieloma múltiple. Los eventos adversos más comúnmente relacionados con el uso de estos medicamentos son el herpes zoster y la neuropatía periférica para bortezomib, y trombosis venosa profunda para lenalidomida. (AU)