UNMAINTAINED REMISSIONS IN MULTIPLE-MYELOMA

Abstract

Twenty-eight patients with multiple myeloma responding to prior melphalanprednisone combinations, but without additional chemotherapy, were followed until relapse. Patients receiving no furhter treatment had a median survival time similar to that of those receiving indefinite courses of melphalan-prednisone or carmustine-prednisone. Prolonged periods of unmaintained remission occurred primarily in patients without extensive disease at the time of diagnosis or in whom the abnormal protein disappeared from the electrophoresis strop. The initial relapse after an unmaintained remission was controlled in 80% of the patients with the resumption of melphalan-prednisone, but 2nd remissions were usually less marked in degree and shorter in duration. Results supported the long-term evaluation without chemotherapy of selected patients with low numbers of plasma cells after treatment who were likely to experience long durations of disease stability and respond again to retreatment with melphalan-prednisone.