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Last Modified: 1/6/2009     First Published: 1/1/2002  
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Maintenance Rituximab for Follicular Lymphoma

Azacitidine Improves Survival in MDS

Second Stem Cell Transplant Not Helpful in Myeloma
Phase III Randomized Study of Doxorubicin, Dexamethasone, and High-Dose Melphalan With or Without Thalidomide in Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Alternate Title
Basic Trial Information
Objectives
Entry Criteria
Expected Enrollment
Outcomes
Outline
Published Results
Related Publications
Trial Contact Information
Registry Information

Alternate Title

Combination Chemotherapy With or Without Thalidomide in Treating Patients With Multiple Myeloma

Basic Trial Information

PhaseTypeStatusAgeSponsorProtocol IDs
Phase IIITreatmentClosed18 to 65OtherCKTO-2001-02
HOVON-50MM, EU-20133, HOVON-CKVO-2001-02, NCT00028886

Objectives

  1. Compare the efficacy of doxorubicin, dexamethasone, and high-dose melphalan with versus without thalidomide, in terms of event-free survival, of patients with multiple myeloma.
  2. Determine the response rate, complete response rate, overall survival, and progression-free survival of patients treated with these regimens.
  3. Determine the safety and toxicity of thalidomide in combination with intensive chemotherapy in these patients.
  4. Assess the value of prognostic factors at diagnosis in individual patients treated with these regimens.

Entry Criteria

Disease Characteristics:

  • Histologically confirmed multiple myeloma
    • Stage II or III


  • No systemic amyloid light-chain amyloidosis


Prior/Concurrent Therapy:

Biologic therapy:

  • Patients 18 to 55 years of age must not have been allocated before study randomization to allogeneic stem cell transplantation with an HLA-identical sibling donor

Chemotherapy:

  • No more than 2 prior courses of melphalan and prednisone therapy for local myeloma progression
  • No other prior chemotherapy

Endocrine therapy:

  • Not specified

Radiotherapy:

  • Prior local radiotherapy for local myeloma progression allowed
  • No other prior radiotherapy

Surgery:

  • Not specified

Patient Characteristics:

Age:

  • 18 to 65

Performance status:

  • WHO 0-3

Life expectancy:

  • Not specified

Hematopoietic:

  • Not specified

Hepatic:

  • No significant hepatic dysfunction*
  • Bilirubin less than 1.75 mg/dL*
  • AST/ALT less than 2.5 times normal*

 [Note: *Unless related to myeloma]

Renal:

  • Not specified

Cardiovascular:

  • No severe cardiac dysfunction
  • No New York Heart Association class II, III, or IV heart disease

Other:

  • HIV negative
  • No active uncontrolled infection
  • No other malignancy within the past 5 years except basal cell skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
  • No known intolerance to thalidomide
  • Not pregnant
  • Negative pregnancy test
  • Fertile patients must use effective contraception

Expected Enrollment

450

A total of 450 patients (225 per treatment arm) will be accrued for this study within 4 years.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome(s)

Event-free survival

Secondary Outcome(s)

Partial response and complete response
Overall survival
Progression-free survival
Toxicity

Outline

This is a randomized, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and treatment policy (1 course vs 2 courses of high-dose melphalan). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.

Arm I:

  • Patients receive induction chemotherapy (AD) comprising doxorubicin IV on days 1-4 and oral dexamethasone on days 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20. Patients receive oral thalidomide daily beginning on day 1 and continuing until 2 weeks before start of stem cell mobilization. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.


  • Patients receive stem cell mobilization with chemotherapy comprising cyclophosphamide IV on day 1 and doxorubicin IV and oral dexamethasone on days 1-4 (CAD). Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously (SC) beginning on day 5 and continuing until last apheresis.


  • Beginning 8-10 weeks after stem cell collection, patients receive low-dose oral thalidomide daily and high-dose melphalan IV on days -3 and -2 as intensification. Patients undergo stem cell infusion on day 0. Patients may receive a second course of high-dose melphalan 2-3 months after the first course, in which case, stem cell infusion follows the second course of melphalan.


  • Patients receive maintenance therapy with oral thalidomide daily until disease progression or after 3 months if no response.


  • Beginning 2 months after the last course, patients with an HLA-identical sibling donor undergo nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation after radiotherapy.


Arm II:

  • Patients receive induction chemotherapy (VAD) comprising vincristine IV and doxorubicin IV on days 1-4 and dexamethasone on days 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20. Treatment repeats every 28 days for 3 courses in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.


  • Patients receive stem cell mobilization with CAD chemotherapy as in arm I. G-CSF is given as in arm I.


  • Patients receive high-dose melphalan and undergo stem cell infusion as in arm I.


  • Patients receive maintenance therapy with interferon alfa SC 3 times weekly until progression or after 3 months if no partial response.


  • Beginning 2 months after the last course, patients with an HLA-identical sibling donor undergo nonmyeloablative stem cell transplantation after radiotherapy.


All patients are followed every 6 months for 3 years and then annually thereafter.

Published Results

Lokhorst HM, Schmidt-Wolf I, Sonneveld P, et al.: Thalidomide in induction treatment increases the very good partial response rate before and after high-dose therapy in previously untreated multiple myeloma. Haematologica 93 (1): 124-7, 2008.[PUBMED Abstract]

Lokhorst H, van der Holt B, Zweegman S, et al.: Final analysis of HOVON-50 randomized phase III study on the effect of thalidomide combined with adriamycine,dexamethasone (AD) and high dose melphalan (HDM) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). [Abstract] Blood 112 (11): A-157, 2008.

Related Publications

Johnson DC, Corthals S, Ramos C, et al.: Genetic associations with thalidomide mediated venous thrombotic events in myeloma identified using targeted genotyping. Blood 112 (13): 4924-34, 2008.[PUBMED Abstract]

Trial Contact Information

Trial Lead Organizations

Commissie Voor Klinisch Toegepast Onderzoek

H. Lokhorst, MD, PhD, Protocol chair
Ph: 31-30-250-7230
Email: h.lokhorst@azu.nl

Registry Information
Official Title A Randomized Phase III Study On The Effect Of Thalidomide Combined With Adriamycin, Dexamethasone (AD) And High Dose Melphalan In Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Trial Start Date 2001-03-01
Registered in ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00028886
Date Submitted to PDQ 2001-10-30
Information Last Verified 2009-01-06

Note: The purpose of most clinical trials listed in this database is to test new cancer treatments, or new methods of diagnosing, screening, or preventing cancer. Because all potentially harmful side effects are not known before a trial is conducted, dose and schedule modifications may be required for participants if they develop side effects from the treatment or test. The therapy or test described in this clinical trial is intended for use by clinical oncologists in carefully structured settings, and may not prove to be more effective than standard treatment. A responsible investigator associated with this clinical trial should be consulted before using this protocol.

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