Objective evaluation of the role of vincristine in induction and maintenance therapy for myelomatosis. Medical Research Council Working Party on Leukaemia in Adults

Abstract

In the Medical Research Council's IVth trial in Myelomatosis the possible benefit of adding vincristine to first line treatment with intermittent melphalan and prednisone has been assessed. This was analysed in 530 patients who were randomly allocated to receive vincristine or not. Survival was not improved by the addition of vincristine. A total of 268 patients reached plateau phase on first line therapy. Of these 226 patients were rerandomised either to continue receiving first line therapy for a further year or to cease therapy. At the present time there is a slight but not significant survival advantage in the group which received no further treatment on reaching plateau.