High-dose melphalan for multiple myeloma: long-term follow-up data.

PURPOSE To present long-term follow-up data of patients with myeloma treated with high-dose melphalan HDM, including an assessment of prognostic factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS Between November 1981 and April 1986, 63 previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma received HDM 140 mg/m2 without autologous bone marrow transplantation. RESULTS The overall response rate was 82% (51 of 62), with 32% (20 of 62) patients entering complete remission (CR). The median duration of response was 18 months, and six patients remain alive and free from disease progression at 60+ to 84+ months. Improvements in quality of life associated with remission were immediate in terms of pain grade (89% of patients) and performance status (92%), and later in terms of bone healing (29%). Currently, at a median follow-up duration of 74 months (range, 63 to 100) since HDM, 23 patients are alive with a median survival duration of 47 months, and 35% of patients are expected to be alive at 9 years. Apart from early-stage disease, no factors were found to predict long-term survival. No second malignancies or other late side effects have been recorded. CONCLUSION Single-agent HDM without autologous bone marrow transplantation is a feasible therapeutic option in myeloma, and is associated with a high objective response rate, relatively long remission durations, and good symptom control.