Phase I dose-escalation study of cyclophosphamide combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone in Japanese patients with relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma.

The present study was conducted to determine the recommended dose (RD) of cyclophosphamide (CPM) in the CBD regimen, a triplet combination of CPM, bortezomib (BTZ), and dexamethasone (Dex), for relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Patients received intravenous CPM on days 1 and 8 at one of three dose levels: 300, 400, or 500 mg/m(2), with dose escalation in a 3 + 3 design. BTZ at 1.3 mg/m(2) was given twice weekly in 3-week cycles, with Dex at 20 mg/m(2) on the day of and day after BTZ. Of 16 patients enrolled, 15 eligible patients were allocated to the study. Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were seen in two patients: one in dose level 1 with increased γ-GTP and the other in dose level 3 with increased γ-GTP and ALT. Both patients spontaneously recovered from DLT. Neither therapy-related mortality nor severe adverse events were reported during the study. Therefore, the RD of CPM was determined as 500 mg/m(2). Overall, 2 (13.3 %), 1 (6.7 %), and 8 (53.3 %) patients achieved CR, VGPR, and PR, respectively. The regimen was well tolerated and showed promising activity in patients with RRMM.

Cervical epidural hematoma in a healthy donor presenting stroke mimic symptoms: a rare adverse event following peripheral blood stem cell apheresis.

Peripheral blood stem cell apheresis from a healthy donor is indispensable for allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Here, we report a rare adverse event following peripheral blood stem cell apheresis. A female sibling donor, aged 61 years with an unremarkable medical history, complained of pain in the left neck and shoulder and numbness in the left upper limb 1 h after the end of peripheral blood stem cell apheresis. Paralysis of the left upper and lower limbs appeared consecutively. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head showed no abnormalities. Anticoagulant therapy was initiated according to the standard treatment of atherothrombotic brain infarction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical cord on the following day revealed a cervical epidural hematoma. An emergency C4-C5 laminectomy was performed, and the paralysis was improved immediately after surgery. This report is the first case of cervical epidural hematoma in a healthy donor who underwent peripheral blood stem cell apheresis and presented symptoms confusingly similar to those of brain infarction.