A Phase II Study of VAD (Vincristine, Adriamycin, Dexamethasone) Plus Thalidomide (Low Dose) as Frontline Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Patients With Multiple Myeloma (MM)
A Phase II Study of VAD (Vincristine, Adriamycin, Dexamethasone) Plus Thalidomide (Low Dose) as Frontline Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Patients With Multiple Myeloma (MM)
RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy work in different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Thalidomide may stop the growth of cancer by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Combining chemotherapy with thalidomide may kill more cancer cells.
PURPOSE: Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy and thalidomide in treating patients who have newly diagnosed stage I, stage II, or stage III multiple myeloma.
OBJECTIVES:
OUTLINE: This is an open-label, nonrandomized study.
Patients receive vincristine IV and doxorubicin IV continuously on days 1-4 and oral dexamethasone on days 1-4, 9-12, and 17-20. Patients also receive low-dose oral thalidomide daily on days 1-28. Treatment repeats every 4 weeks for 4-6 courses in the absence of disease progression.
Patients are followed until disease progression or bone marrow transplantation.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: Approximately 17-37 patients will be accrued for this study.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age
Performance status
Life expectancy
Hematopoietic
Hepatic
Renal
Other
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy
Chemotherapy
Endocrine therapy
Radiotherapy
Surgery
Other