Prospective randomized comparison of vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (VAD) administered as intravenous bolus injection and VAD with liposomal doxorubicin as first-line treatment in multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: The combination of vincristine and doxorubicin administered as a continuous infusion via an indwelling catheter together with intermittent high-dose dexamethasone (VAD) is an effective primary treatment for patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma. In order to avoid the need for an indwelling catheter, which imposes logistic problems for outpatient administration, several phase II studies have explored the feasibility and efficacy of VAD-like outpatient regimens. We designed a prospective randomized study to compare the objective response rates of two VAD-like outpatient regimens as primary treatment for symptomatic patients with multiple myeloma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients were entered in a randomized study regardless of age, performance status and renal function. One hundred and twenty-seven patients received VAD bolus, which consisted of vincristine 0.4 mg i.v., doxorubicin 9 mg/m(2) i.v. and dexamethasone 40 mg p.o. daily for four consecutive days and 132 patients received VAD doxil, which consisted of vincristine 2 mg i.v. and liposomal doxorubicin 40 mg/m(2) i.v. on day 1 and dexamethasone 40 mg p.o. daily for 4 days. The two regimens were administered every 28 days for four courses and in courses 1 and 3, in both arms, dexamethasone was also given on days 9-12 and 17-20. RESULTS: An objective response was documented in 61.4% and 61.3% of patients treated with VAD bolus and VAD doxil, respectively. Hematological and non-hematological toxicities were mild or moderate and equally distributed between the two treatment arms with the exception of alopecia, which was more common after VAD bolus, and of palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, which was more common after VAD doxil. CONCLUSIONS: Our multicenter trial, which included an unselected patient population, indicated that both VAD bolus and VAD doxil can be administered to outpatients and can provide an equal opportunity of rapid response in many patients with multiple myeloma.

Treatment of Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia with thalidomide.

PURPOSE: We performed a prospective phase II study to assess the activity of thalidomide in patients with Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty patients with WM were treated with thalidomide at a starting dose of 200 mg daily with dose escalation in 200-mg increments every 14 days as tolerated to a maximum of 600 mg. All patients were symptomatic, their median age was 74 years, and 10 patients were previously untreated. RESULTS: On an intent-to-treat basis, five (25%) of 20 patients achieved a partial response after treatment. Responses occurred in three of 10 previously untreated and in two of 10 pretreated patients. None of the patients treated during refractory relapse or with disease duration exceeding 2 years responded to thalidomide. Time to response was short, ranging between 0.8 months to 2.8 months. Adverse effects were common but reversible and consisted primarily of constipation, somnolence, fatigue, and mood changes. The daily dose of thalidomide was escalated to 600 mg in only five patients (25%), and in seven patients (35%), this agent was discontinued within 2 months because of intolerance. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that thalidomide has activity in WM but only low doses were tolerated in this elderly patient population. Confirmatory studies as well as studies that will combine thalidomide with chemotherapy or with rituximab may be relevant.

Thalidomide and dexamethasone combination for refractory multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Thalidomide is effective in approximately 30% of patients with refractory multiple myeloma. Dexamethasone is active in 25% of patients with disease resistant to alkylating agents. We investigated the combination of thalidomide with dexamethasone as salvage treatment for heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma, in order to assess its efficacy and toxicity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-four patients with refractory myeloma were treated with thalidomide, 200 mg p.o. daily at bedtime, with dose escalation to 400 mg after 14 days, and dexamethasone, which was administered intermittently at a dose of 20 mg/m2 p.o. daily for four days on day 1-4, 9-12, 17-20, followed by monthly dexamethasone for four days. Patients' median age was 67 years. All patients were resistant to standard chemotherapy, 77% were resistant to dexamethasone-based regimens and 32% had previously received high-dose therapy. RESULTS: On an intention-to-treat basis twenty-four patients (55%) achieved a partial response with a median time to response of 1.3 months. The thalidomide and dexamethasone combination was equally effective in patients with or without prior resistance to dexamethasone-based regimens and in patients with or without prior high-dose therapy. Toxicities were mild or moderate and consisted primarily of constipation, morning somnolence, tremor, xerostomia and peripheral neuropathy. The median time to progression for responding patients is expected to exceed 10 months and the median survival for all patients is 12.6 months. CONCLUSION: The combination of thalidomide with dexamethasone appears active in patients with refractory multiple myeloma. If this activity is confirmed, further studies of this combination as second-line treatment for patients resistant to conventional chemotherapy, and as primary treatment for patients with active myeloma, should be considered.

Treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome with amifostine.

The efficacy and toxicity of amifostine (300 mg/m(2) three times a week for three consecutive weeks for a maximum of six courses) was evaluated in 12 patients with primary myelodysplastic syndromes. Dose escalation up to 400 mg/m(2) was allowed to patients who failed to respond. Hemoglobin concentration was increased > or = 1.5 g/dl in two (18%) of the 11 anemic patients. These two patients obtained transfusion independence for 20 weeks. Reticulocyte counts and ANC increased > or = 50% of baseline in four (44%) of the nine patients with reticulocytopenia and in three (25%) of the 12 neutropenic patients. Platelet count increased in three (50%) of the six patients with thrombocytopenia. Progenitor growth of CFU-GMs and BFU-Es improved in 8/12 patients. No major side effects were observed. In conclusion amifostine is well tolerated and can promote the growth of primitive hematopoietic progenitors and ameliorate the cytopenias in MDS patients.

Mutations and expression of the ras family genes in leukemias.

The levels of expression and the incidence of codon 12 point mutations of the ras family genes were studied in 18 cases of leukemia, seven with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), three with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), four cases with chronic myelogenic leukemia (CML) and four cases with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Elevated expression of the ras genes was found for 39%, 61% and 67% of the specimens for the H-ras, K-ras and N-ras, respectively. A trend was found between the overexpression of the N-ras gene and the acute leukemias: all 10 acute leukemias exhibited overexpression of the N-ras gene, while only two of the CML cases, both in blastic crisis, showed elevated levels of the N-ras gene. Codon 12 point mutations at the N-ras gene were found in two of seven cases (28%) with AML and one of four cases (25%) with CML. The only K-ras codon 12 point mutation was found in a patient with CLL. No mutations were found in the codon 12 of H-ras. Our data suggest that apart from the point mutations, overexpression of the ras family genes is important in the development of the disease.

Modality treatment in adult stage I-II Hodgkin's disease with large mediastinal masses: study of 30 cases and review of the literature.

From January 1980 to December 1989, 30 untreated patients with supradiaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease (HD) stage IA to IIBE, presenting a mediastinal mass with mediastinal to thoracic ratio (MTR) > or = 0.33, were treated by combined modality therapy. None had staging laparotomy and the range of MTR was 0.33 to 0.60 (mean 0.43). In the entire group. MOPP chemotherapy (2 or 3 cycles) was followed by mantle irradiation of 40-45 Grays over 26 to 30 days and paraaortic-splenic pedicle irradiation of 30 Grays over 19 days. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 26 of 30 patients (87%). The remaining 4 patients who failed to respond to initial chemotherapy received salvage chemotherapy and/or autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). With a median follow-up time of 72 months (range 11 to 131 months), overall survival and disease free survival (DFS) were 86% and 78% respectively at 10 years. Five relapses were observed after 10 to 63 months of CR. Among five patients (3 relapsing and 2 failing to respond) who received intensive chemotherapy and/or ABMT, complete remission was obtained in 4 (80%). Univariate analysis of different risk factors such as age, systemic symptoms, E-lesions, histological subtype, sex, MTR and response to initial chemotherapy indicated that early response to chemotherapy was the only significant factor influencing overall survival (p < 0.001). Intensive chemotherapy with ABMT is suggested for patients failing to respond to initial chemotherapy or relapsing after combined modality treatment.

[Stage I and II Hodgkin's disease with enlarged mediastinum in adults. Apropos of 24 cases]. / Maladie de Hodgkin stade I et II à gros médiastin de l'adulte. A propos de 24 cas.

We have reported a retrospective study on 24 cases of supra-diaphragmatic Hodgkin's disease Stage I and II, with massive mediastinal invasion, followed from January 1981 to October 1986 and treated first with chemotherapy and then supra-diaphragmatic mantle type radiotherapy up to a dose of 40 Gy in 20 sessions and over 26 days; inverted irradiation was given to the aorto-lumbar region and the spleen up to a dose of 30 Gy in 15 sessions over 19 days. Supplementary irradiation to the superior mediastinum on average 10 Gy in five sessions over five days was given in two cases and five Gy in three sessions over three days in four cases. After initial chemotherapy there appeared to be a complete remission in 29% (7 out of 24), there was a partial remission in 71% (17 out of 24), of which one gave a 25% response, two a 50% response and 14 gave a response of greater than 80%. After radiotherapy the remission rate appeared complete in 96% (23 out of 24). The overall survival was 90% (19 out of 21) with a mean follow up of 45 months (range 8-78 months) with a complete remission level of 85.5% (18 out of 21). For the 13 cases followed for five years the overall survival level and the level of survival in complete remission was 84.5% (11 out of 13) and 77% (10 out of 13) respectively. We have seen symptomatic post radiotherapy pneumonia. The association of chemo and radiotherapy in this limited series of patients has enabled us to obtain a satisfying duration of remission.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Alternating chemotherapy and radiation therapy in the treatment of advanced Hodgkin's disease.

During the period from 1982 to 1987, 19 patients with advanced Hodgkin's disease, clinical stages IIIB and IV underwent treatment with combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Alternating chemotherapy (3 cycles of CVCPP/3 cycles of ABVD) was sandwiched with low-dose total nodal irradiation including the splenic area; at the end of the chemotherapy, a supplemental 20 Gy radiotherapy was sometimes delivered to bulky previously involved sites. The complete remission rate was 84.2% (16/19 patients) and actuarial survival was 85% at 48 months. These preliminary results show that the alternating technique for combining chemotherapy and sandwiched irradiation is feasible and improves the outcome in advanced Hodgkin's disease. Patients with mediastinal masses associated with pulmonary and/or pleural involvement may need more aggressive chemotherapy at an earlier phase of the treatment program.