Abstract
In order to assess the role of maintenance melphalan and prednisone (MP) in responding multiple myeloma patients, 185 eligible patients who responded to initial MP with stabilization for at least 4 months were randomized to either stop treatment and resume therapy at relapse or to continue MP until relapse. Time to first relapse was significantly shorter in the no maintenance group (P = 0.0011), however 57% of the no maintenance patients had a second response when MP was restarted and others had minor improvement. The time to final progression on MP, which reflects the duration of disease control by MP, was therefore longer for the no maintenance group (median = 39 months) compared to the maintenance group (median = 31 months) although the observed difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.086). Median survival from start of MP in the maintenance group (46 months) was also not significantly different than the no maintenance group (51 months) (P = 0.587). Multifactor analysis of the randomized patients demonstrated shorter total remission duration and shorter survival in patients who had an initially rapid response to therapy or a lesser reduction in serum M-protein concentration.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 24 print issues and online access
$259.00 per year
only $10.79 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Belch, A., Shelley, W., Bergsagel, D. et al. A randomized trial of maintenance versus no maintenance melphalan and prednisone in responding multiple myeloma patients. Br J Cancer 57, 94–99 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1988.17
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.1988.17
This article is cited by
-
Post-Transplant Maintenance Treatment Options in Multiple Myeloma
Oncology and Therapy (2021)
-
Bortezomib maintenance therapy in transplant-ineligible myeloma patients who plateaued after bortezomib-based induction therapy: a multicenter phase II clinical trial
International Journal of Hematology (2018)
-
Posttransplant maintenance therapy in multiple myeloma: the changing landscape
Blood Cancer Journal (2017)
-
Consolidation and Maintenance Therapies for Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma in the Era of Novel Agents
Current Hematologic Malignancy Reports (2016)
-
To maintain or not to maintain: treatment forever in myeloma?
memo - Magazine of European Medical Oncology (2015)