Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Autografting

Prolonged responses after autologous stem cell transplantation in African-American patients with multiple myeloma

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 37, pages 1099–1102 (2006)Cite this article

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) has a double incidence in African-American (AA) than in non-AA patients and previous studies have shown a higher mortality in the former patient population. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the results of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in 38 AA and 32 non-AA consecutive patients. The two groups were comparable at diagnosis for age, stage of the disease, cytogenetic abnormalities, β2 microglobulin and albumin blood levels, and plasma cell marrow infiltration. The rates of complete and partial response observed in AA and non-AA patients after induction chemotherapy (9 and 42 vs 13 and 33%) and at 2 months (31 and 25 vs 30 and 20%) following ASCT were similar. At 6 months after ASCT, a greater relapse rate was observed in non-AA patients (P=0.009). At a median follow-up of 26 months, AA patients had a greater event-free survival (P=0.02) than non-AA patients, whereas overall survival was comparable in the two groups. The initial finding that AA patients with MM, compared to non-AA patients, had more prolonged responses and comparable survival after ASCT suggests that intensified chemotherapy is equally effective in patients of various ethnicities.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Tricot G . Multiple Myeloma and other plasma cell disorders. In: Hoffman R, Benz Jr E, Shattil S et al. (eds). Hematology. Basic Principles and Practice, 4th edn. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone: New York, NY, 2005, pp 1501–1535.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Koessel SL, Theis MK, Vaughan TL, Koepsell TD, Weiss NS, Greenberg RS et al. Socioeconomic status and the incidence of multiple myeloma. Epidemiology 1996; 7: 4–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Baris D, Brown LM, Silverman DT, Hayes R, Hoover RN, Swanson GM et al. Socioeconomic status and multiple myeloma among US blacks and whites. Am J Public Health 2000; 90: 1277–1281.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Brown LM, Pottern LM, Silverman DT, Schoenberg JB, Schwartz AG, Greenberg RS et al. Multiple myeloma among Blacks and Whites in the United States: role of cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Cancer Causes Control 1997; 8: 610–614.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Lewis DR, Pottern LM, Brown LM, Silverman DT, Hayes RB, Schoenberg JB et al. Multiple myeloma among blacks and whites in the United States: the role of chronic antigenic stimulation. Cancer Causes Control 1994; 5: 529–539.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Brown LM, Gridley G, Pottern LM, Baris D, Swanso CA, Silverman DT et al. Diet and nutrition as risk factors for multiple myeloma among blacks and whites in the United States. Cancer Causes Control 2001; 12: 117–125.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Brown LM, Linet MS, Greenberg RS, Silverman DT, Hayes RB, Swanson GM et al. Multiple myeloma and family history of cancer among blacks and whites in the US. Cancer 1999; 85: 2385–2390.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Attal M, Harousseau JL, Stoppa AM, Sotto JJ, Fuzibet JG, Rossi JF et al. A prospective, randomized trial of autologous bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy in multiple myeloma. Intergroupe Francais du Myelome. N Engl J Med 1996; 335: 91–97.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Blade J, Samson D, Reece D, Apperley J, Bjorkstrand B, Gahrton G et al. Criteria for evaluating disease response and progression in patients with multiple myeloma treated by high-dose therapy and haemopoietic stem cell transplantation. Myeloma Subcommittee of the EBMT. European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplant. Br J Haematol 1998; 102: 1115–1123.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Mielcarek M, Gooley T, Martin PJ, Chauncey TR, Young BA, Storb R et al. Effects of race on survival after stem cell transplantation. Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 2005; 11: 231–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Benjamin M, Reddy S, Brawley OW . Myeloma and race: a review of the literature. Cancer Metast Rev 2003; 22: 87–93.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Lenhoff S, Hjorth M, Holmberg E, Turesson I, Westin J, Nielsen JL et al. Impact on survival of high-dose therapy with autologous stem cell support in patients younger than 60 years with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: a population-based study. Nordic Myeloma Study Group. Blood 2000; 95: 7–11.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Modiano MR, Villar-Werstler P, Crowley J, Salmon SE . Evaluation of race as a prognostic factor in multiple myeloma. An ancillary of Southwest Oncology Group Study 8229. J Clin Oncol 1996; 14: 974–977.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cavo M, Zamagni E, Tosi P, Tacchetti P, Cellini C, Cangini D et al. Superiority of thalidomide and dexamethasone over vincristine-doxorubicindexamethasone (VAD) as primary therapy in preparation for autologous transplantation for multiple myeloma. Blood 2005; 106: 35–39.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Singhal S, Mehta J, Desikan R, Ayers D, Roberson P, Eddlemon P et al. Antitumor activity of thalidomide in refractory multiple myeloma. N Engl J Med 1999; 341: 1565–1571.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Jagannath S, Barlogie B, Berenson J, Siegel D, Irwin D, Richardson PG et al. A phase 2 study of two doses of bortezomib in relapsed or refractory myeloma. Br J Haematol 2004; 127: 165–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kumar S, Lacy MQ, Dispenzieri A, Rajkumar SV, Fonseca R, Geyer S et al. Single agent dexamethasone for pre-stem cell transplant induction therapy for multiple myeloma. Bone Marrow Transplant 2004; 34: 485–490.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Durie BG . New approaches to treatment for multiple myeloma: durable remission and quality of life as primary goals. Clin Lymphoma Myeloma 2005; 6: 181–190.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Hematology/Oncology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    S Saraf, Y-H Chen, L C Dobogai, N Mahmud, D Peace, Y Saunthararajah, R Hoffman, S Chunduri & D Rondelli

Authors
  1. S Saraf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Y-H Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. L C Dobogai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N Mahmud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. D Peace
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Y Saunthararajah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. R Hoffman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. S Chunduri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. D Rondelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D Rondelli.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Saraf, S., Chen, YH., Dobogai, L. et al. Prolonged responses after autologous stem cell transplantation in African-American patients with multiple myeloma. Bone Marrow Transplant 37, 1099–1102 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705392

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1705392

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links