WEDNESDAY, June 29, 2005 (HealthDay News) -- A treatment called Thal-Dex that combines the once-banned drug thalidomide with the steroid dexamethasone works better than conventional chemotherapy in the treatment of multiple myeloma, according to a new Italian study.
Multiple myeloma in an incurable and painful cancer of the bone marrow. Many patients live less than five years after being diagnosed with the disease. Autologous (self-donor) stem cell transplants can help extend patient survival. Chemotherapy is done a few months before stem cell transplant to reduce the number of cancer cells and improve the odds of stem cell transplant success.
The new study included 100 multiple myeloma patients who received Thal-Dex before stem cell transplant and 100 patients who received traditional "VAD" chemotherapy before transplant. VAD is a combination of three drugs -- vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone.
As reported in the July 1 issue of the journal Blood, patients who received Thal-Dex were more likely to have successful transplant results -- 76 percent of the Thal-Dex patients showed at least a partial remission compared with 52 percent of VAD patients. The Thal-Dex patients also showed more reduction in the size of their tumors.
Fifteen percent of patients taking Thal-Dex experienced deep vein thrombosis (dangerous blood clots), however. This side effect was successfully treated using anti-coagulants. The study authors said more research is needed to help predict which patients will suffer deep vein thrombosis when treated with Thal-Dex.
In the 1960s, thalidomide was used by some pregnant women to treat morning sickness. But women who took the drug gave birth to children with severe birth defects such as missing or shortened limbs, according to the National Institutes of Health.
"It's time to look at thalidomide in a new light," Dr. Michele Cavo, professor at the University of Bologna and lead study author, said in a prepared statement. "It's earned its place in modern medicine. Thalidomide has proven to be a highly effective, relatively safe, and more comfortable treatment for patients with multiple myeloma than traditional chemotherapy."
More information
The American Cancer Society has more about multiple myeloma.
