Lucia Pantani

Bortezomib with thalidomide plus dexamethasone compared with thalidomide plus dexamethasone as induction therapy before, and consolidation therapy after, double autologous stem-cell transplantation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: a randomised phase 3 study

BACKGROUND Thalidomide plus dexamethasone (TD) is a standard induction therapy for myeloma. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of addition of bortezomib to TD (VTD) versus TD alone as induction therapy before, and consolidation therapy after, double autologous stem-cell transplantation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. METHODS Patients (aged 18-65 years) with previously untreated symptomatic myeloma were enrolled from 73 sites in Italy between May, 2006, and April, 2008, and data collection continued until June 30, 2010. Patients were randomly allocated (1:1 ratio) by a web-based system to receive three 21-day cycles of thalidomide (100 mg daily for the first 14 days and 200 mg daily thereafter) plus dexamethasone (40 mg daily on 8 of the first 12 days, but not consecutively; total of 320 mg per cycle), either alone or with bortezomib (1·3 mg/m(2) on days 1, 4, 8, and 11). The randomisation sequence was computer generated by the study coordinating team and was stratified by disease stage. After double autologous stem-cell transplantation, patients received two 35-day cycles of their assigned drug regimen, VTD or TD, as consolidation therapy. The primary endpoint was the rate of complete or near complete response to induction therapy. Analysis was by intention to treat. Patients and treating physicians were not masked to treatment allocation. This study is still underway but is not recruiting participants, and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01134484, and with EudraCT, number 2005-003723-39. FINDINGS 480 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive VTD (n=241 patients) or TD (n=239). Six patients withdrew consent before start of treatment, and 236 on VTD and 238 on TD were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. After induction therapy, complete or near complete response was achieved in 73 patients (31%, 95% CI 25·0-36·8) receiving VTD, and 27 (11%, 7·3-15·4) on TD (p<0·0001). Grade 3 or 4 adverse events were recorded in a significantly higher number of patients on VTD (n=132, 56%) than in those on TD (n=79, 33%; p<0·0001), with a higher occurrence of peripheral neuropathy in patients on VTD (n=23, 10%) than in those on TD (n=5, 2%; p=0·0004). Resolution or improvement of severe peripheral neuropathy was recorded in 18 of 23 patients on VTD, and in three of five patients on TD. INTERPRETATION VTD induction therapy before double autologous stem-cell transplantation significantly improves rate of complete or near complete response, and represents a new standard of care for patients with multiple myeloma who are eligible for transplant. FUNDING Seràgnoli Institute of Haematology at the University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.

Prognostic relevance of 18-F FDG PET/CT in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients treated with up-front autologous transplantation

We prospectively analyzed the prognostic relevance of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) at diagnosis, after thalidomide-dexamethasone (TD) induction therapy and double autotransplantation (ASCT) in 192 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Presence at baseline of at least 3 focal lesions (FLs; 44% of cases), a standardized uptake value (SUV) > 4.2 (46%), and extramedullary disease (EMD; 6%) adversely affected 4-year estimates of progression-free survival (PFS; ≥ 3 FLs: 50%; SUV > 4.2: 43%; presence of EMD: 28%). SUV > 4.2 and EMD were also correlated with shorter overall survival (OS; 4-year rates: 77% and 66%, respectively). Persistence of SUV > 4.2 after TD induction was an early predictor for shorter PFS. Three months after ASCT, PET/CT was negative in 65% of patients whose 4-year rates of PFS and OS were superior to those of PET-positive patients (PFS: 66% and OS: 89%). In a multivariate analysis, both EMD and SUV > 4.2 at baseline and persistence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake after ASCT were independent variables adversely affecting PFS. PET/CT involvement at diagnosis, after novel agent-based induction and subsequent ASCT is a reliable predictor of prognosis in MM patients. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NTC01341262.

Bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone is superior to thalidomide-dexamethasone as consolidation therapy after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma

In a randomized, phase 3 study, superior complete/near-complete response (CR/nCR) rates and extended progression-free survival were demonstrated with bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone (VTD) versus thalidomide-dexamethasone (TD) as induction therapy before, and consolidation after, double autologous stem cell transplantation for newly diagnosed myeloma patients (intention-to-treat analysis; VTD, n = 236; TD, n = 238). This per-protocol analysis (VTD, n = 160; TD, n = 161) specifically assessed the efficacy and safety of consolidation with VTD or TD. Before starting consolidation, CR/nCR rates were not significantly different in the VTD (63.1%) and TD arms (54.7%). After consolidation, CR (60.6% vs 46.6%) and CR/nCR (73.1% vs 60.9%) rates were significantly higher for VTD-treated versus TD-treated patients. VTD consolidation significantly increased CR and CR/nCR rates, but TD did not (McNemar test). With a median follow-up of 30.4 months from start of consolidation, 3-year progression-free survival was significantly longer for the VTD group (60% vs 48% for TD). Grade 2 or 3 peripheral neuropathy (8.1% vs 2.4%) was more frequent with VTD (grade 3, 0.6%) versus TD consolidation. The superior efficacy of VTD versus TD as induction was retained despite readministration as consolidation therapy after double autologous transplantation. VTD consolidation therapy significantly contributed to improved clinical outcomes observed for patients randomly assigned to the VTD arm of the study. The study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01134484.

Multiple myeloma, venous thromboembolism, and treatment-related risk of thrombosis.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a disease with a high prevalence in elderly people, affecting > 5% of the population > 65 years of age. Cancer patients have a 4.3-fold higher incidence of thrombotic complications, due to multiple risk factors that are not always related to the disease. Among hematologic malignancies, multiple myeloma (MM) confers a high risk of developing such complications, with a VTE rate of nearly 10%. Multiple factors are involved in MM-related VTE, such as increased blood viscosity, high levels of immunoglobulin, procoagulant activity of monoclonal protein, and inflammatory cytokines. Since the introduction of the immunomodulatory derivatives (IMiDs) thalidomide and lenalidomide in the therapeutic armamentarium of MM, VTE has emerged as one of the leading complications, in particular in patients with newly diagnosed MM. In this setting, IMiDs-based treatments are associated with rates of VTE reaching values up to 14 to 26%, particularly when dexamethasone or chemotherapy are added. The optimal prophylaxis for patients receiving these antiangiogenetic agents is still a matter of debate. Due to the lack of prospective randomized clinical trials, different studies have used various anticoagulant prophylaxes, including fixed low-dose warfarin (1 mg or 1.25 mg), therapeutic doses of warfarin (international normalized ratio between 2.0 and 3.0), low molecular weight heparin, or low-dose aspirin. As yet, no study has clearly demonstrated a significant superiority of one prophylactic regimen in comparison with the others. Further investigation and more randomized clinical trials are needed to define the best thromboprophylaxis.

18F-FDG PET/CT focal, but not osteolytic, lesions predict the progression of smoldering myeloma to active disease

Identification of patient sub-groups with smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM) at high risk of progression to active disease (MM) is an important goal. 18F-FDG PET/CT (positron emission tomography (PET) integrated with computed tomography (PET/CT) using glucose labelled with the positron-emitting radionuclide 18F) allows for assessing early skeletal involvement. Identification of osteolytic lesions by this technique has recently been incorporated into the updated International Myeloma Working Group criteria for MM diagnosis. However, no data are available regarding the impact of focal lesions (FLs) without underlying osteolysis on time to progression (TTP) to MM. We hence prospectively studied a cohort of 120 SMM patients with PET/CT. PET/CT was positive in 16% of patients (1 FL: 8, 2 FLs: 3, >3 FLs: 6, diffuse bone marrow involvement: 2). With a median follow-up of 2.2 years, 38% of patients progressed to MM, in a median time of 4 years, including 21% with skeletal involvement. The risk of progression of those with positive PET/CT was 3.00 (95% confidence interval 1.58–5.69, P=0.001), with a median TTP of 1.1 versus 4.5 years for PET/CT-negative patients. The probability of progression within 2 years was 58% for positive versus 33% for negative patients. In conclusion, PET/CT positivity significantly increased the risk of progression of SMM to MM. PET/CT could become a new tool to define high-risk SMM.

PET/CT Improves the Definition of Complete Response and Allows to Detect Otherwise Unidentifiable Skeletal Progression in Multiple Myeloma

Purpose: To evaluate the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in 282 symptomatic multiple myeloma patients treated up-front between 2002 and 2012. Experimental Design: All patients were studied by PET/CT at baseline, during posttreatment follow-up, and at the time of relapse. Their median duration of follow-up was 67 months. Results: Forty-two percent of the patients at diagnosis had >3 focal lesions, and in 50% SUVmax was >4.2; extramedullary disease was present in 5%. On multivariate analysis, ISS stage 3, SUVmax >4.2, and failure to achieve best complete response (CR) were the leading factors independently associated with shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). These 3 variables were used to construct a prognostic scoring system based on the number of risk factors. After treatment, PET/CT negativity (PET-neg) was observed in 70% of patients, whereas conventionally defined CR was achieved in 53%. Attainment of PET-neg favorably influenced PFS and OS. PET-neg was an independent predictor of prolonged PFS and OS for patients with conventionally defined CR. Sixty-three percent of patients experienced relapse or progression; in 12%, skeletal progression was exclusively detected by systematic PET/CT performed during follow-up. A multivariate analysis revealed that persistence of SUVmax >4.2 following first-line treatment was independently associated with exclusive PET/CT progression. Conclusions: PET/CT combined with ISS stage and achievement or not of CR on first-line therapy sorted patients into different prognostic groups. PET/CT led to a more careful evaluation of CR. Finally, in patients with persistent high glucose metabolism after first-line treatment, PET/CT can be recommended during follow-up, to screen for otherwise unidentifiable progression. Clin Cancer Res; 21(19); 4384–90. ©2015 AACR.

The value of 18F-FDG PET/CT after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients affected by multiple myeloma (MM): Experience with 77 patients

Aim The objective of this study was to analyze the prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT after therapy in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Patients and Methods One hundred seven patients prospectively recruited with MM had FDG PET/CT at staging 3 months after therapy (autologous stem cell transplantation) and every 6 to 12 months during the follow-up (mean 41 months). Patients were divided into group 1 (relapsed) and group 2 (nonrelapsed). In group 1, PET results and SUVmax were compared to the time to relapse (TTR). In group 2, the presence of PET finding changes during follow-up was analyzed to identify typical patterns of disease behavior (ie, late responders or stabilized disease). Patients with a negative PET at staging were excluded from further evaluation. Results Forty-seven out of 107 (44%) patients relapsed: 10 were excluded because of a negative PET at staging. In group 1, 22 patients had a negative posttherapy PET (59%, mean TTR = 27.6 months) and 15 had a positive posttherapy PET (41%, mean TTR = 18 months). There was a significant difference between the TTR of the two subgroups (t test P = 0.05). In patients with a positive posttherapy PET, the SUVmax was inversely correlated to the TTR (correlation coefficient = −0.7; P < 0.01). Sixty out of 107 (56%) patients did not relapse. Twenty patients were excluded because of a negative PET at staging. In group 2, 27 patients had a negative posttherapy PET (68%) and 13 had a positive posttherapy PET (32%). None of nonrelapsed patients showed a progressive increase in SUVmax during the follow-up. There was no significant difference between relapsed and nonrelapsed patients in terms of SUVmax at posttherapy PET/CT (t test P = 0.7). Conclusion In our series of MM patients, a negative posttherapy PET was predictive for nonrelapse or a long disease-free survival. In contrast, a persistent significantly increased SUVmax after therapy was correlated to a short TTR.

Thalidomide-dexamethasone as induction therapy before autologous stem cell transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and renal insufficiency.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and the toxicity of thalidomide-dexamethasone (Thal-Dex) as induction therapy before autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) with renal insufficiency. The study included 31 patients with a baseline creatinine clearance value <or=50 mL/min, 7 of whom required chronic hemodialysis. Patients received 4 months of Thal-Dex, followed by PBSC collection and subsequent transplantation. After induction, a partial response (PR) or greater was obtained in 23 patients (74%), including 8 (26%) who achieved a very good PR. Renal function improved more frequently in patients achieving a PR or greater (82%, vs 37% in patients achieving less than a PR; P = .04). Twenty-six patients underwent PBSC mobilization; in 17 of these patients (65%), >4 x 10(6) CD34(+) cells/kg were collected. Double autologous transplantation was performed in 15 patients, and a single autologous transplantation was performed in 7 patients. After a median of 32 months of follow-up, median event-free survival was 30 months, and median survival was not determined. According to our data, Thal-Dex is effective and safe in patients with newly diagnosed MM and renal insufficiency. Given the relationship between recovery of renal function and response to induction treatment, more intensive Thal + bortezomib regimens could be explored to rescue higher numbers of patients.

Bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone (VTD) is superior to bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (VCD) as induction therapy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma

Bortezomib-thalidomide-dexamethasone (VTD) is superior to bortezomib-cyclophosphamide-dexamethasone (VCD) as induction therapy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma

Bortezomib-based therapy combined with high cut-off hemodialysis is highly effective in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients with severe renal impairment

Multiple myeloma (MM) is often associated with renal insufficiency (RI) which adversely influences the prognosis. Several studies demonstrated that bortezomib can improve both renal function and outcome. We prospectively evaluated 21 newly diagnosed MM patients with severe renal impairment secondary to tubular‐interstitial damage, most of them due to myeloma kidney, who were primarily treated with bortezomib‐based therapy combined with high cut‐off hemodialysis (HCOD). The median serum creatinine level at baseline was 6.44 mg dL−1 and calculated median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), according to Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) creatinine equation, was 8 mL/min/1.73 m2. Serum free light chain (sFLC) median concentration was 6,040 mg L−1. Post induction and best stringent complete response rates were 19 and 38%, respectively. Responses were fast, occurring within a median of 1.4 months. The combination of bortezomib and HCOD led to a prompt and remarkable (>90%) decrease in sFLC levels. Sixteen patients (76%) became dialysis independent within a median of 32 days. With a median follow up of 17.2 months, the 3‐year PFS and OS were 76 and 67%, respectively. No early deaths were observed. This study demonstrates that incorporation of bortezomib into induction therapy combined with HCOD is a highly effective strategy in rescuing renal function and improving outcomes in patients with MM and RI. Am. J. Hematol. 90:647–652, 2015.