Fifty-four patients were male and 31 were female and the median age was 58 years (range 39-80). Four patients were stage I, 41 were stage II, and 40 were stage III. Thirty-eight patients received the MP regimen (melphalan and prednisolone), 32 received the VAD regimen (vincristine, adriamycine, and dexamethasone), and 15 received the VMCP regimen (vincristine, melphalan, cyclophosphamide, and prednisolone) as first-line chemotherapy.
Objective response was obtained in 32 patients (37.6%) and treatment failure was detected in 53 (62.4%) patients. According to treatment group objective response was 60%, 47%, and 21% in patients receiving VMCP, VAD and MP respectively. The median follow up period was 12 months (range: 1-133). The Two-year overall survival rate was 74.8% and progression free survival (PFS) rate was 27.7%. However, there was no overall survival advantage among the three different conventional treatment regimens. The One-year PFS rate was significantly superior in patients receiving the VAD regimen (VAD vs MP; p=.016 and VAD vs VMCP; p=.009).
In conclusion, VAD may be the prefered treatment regimen in patients with multiple myeloma as a first-line treatment.
Keywords: Multiple myeloma, chemotherapy, treatment
