A retrospective study conducted at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas will be presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting. Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the study examined the effects of autologous stem cell transplantation after combination drug therapy in 95 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients and found that transplantation improved patients' responses.

Prior to autologous stem cell transplantation, patients in the study were treated with a combination regimen of Velcade (bortezomib), Revlimid (lenalidomide), and dexamethasone (Decadron) (VRD); or with a combination of Velcade, thalidomide (Thalomid), and dexamethasone (VTD). All patients were conditioned with melphalan (Alkeran) therapy.

Patients’ responses were measured based on the International Myeloma Working Group response criteria. The criteria response categories include complete response, very good partial response, and partial response.

Nineteen out of the 95 patients received VRD therapy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation. Of those 19 patients, two patients achieved a complete response, eight patients achieved a very good partial response, and nine patients achieved a partial response.

Following autologous stem cell transplantation, the VRD patients showed improvements in response to the therapies. Specifically, nine patients had a complete response, five had a very good partial response, and five achieved a partial response. Data from the study shows that four out of the eight patients with a very good partial response after VRD therapy improved to a complete response after autologous stem cell transplantation. Of the nine patients who had a partial response after VRD therapy, three improved to a complate response and one improved to a very good partial response after autologous stem cell transplantation.

In the study, 76 patients were treated with VTD, and the result showed six complete responses, 37 very good partial responses, and 31 partial responses. Two patients were not responsive to the therapy as their multiple myeloma stabilized or progressed.

After autologous stem cell transplantation, 27 patients achieved a complete response, 30 reached a very good partial response, and 18 had a partial response. Sixteen of the 37 patients who a very good partial response to VTD therapy achieved a complete response after the autologous stem cell transplant. Also, five of the former partial response patients improved to a complete response while nine of the partial response patients improved to a very good partial response after autologous stem cell transplantation.

The study indicates that the 40 patients who achieved a partial response after VRD or VTD therapy improved to a complete response or very good partial response after autologous stem cell transplantation. According to the researchers, autologous stem cell transplants are beneficial to newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients who do not respond well to therapy with VRD or VTD.

For more information, please see abstract 8596 on the 2009 ASCO meeting Web site.