Donor versus no-donor comparison of newly diagnosed myeloma patients included in the HOVON-50 multiple myeloma study

Blood. 2012 Jun 28;119(26):6219-25; quiz 6399. doi: 10.1182/blood-2011-11-393801. Epub 2012 Mar 22.

Abstract

To prospectively evaluate allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) for myeloma as part of first-line therapy, a donor versus no-donor analysis was performed of patients treated in the HOVON-50 study, a study that was originally designed to examine thalidomide combined with intensive therapy. Two hundred sixty patients having received an autologous-SCT fulfilled the criteria to be included, 138 patients without an HLA-identical sibling donor and 122 patients with a donor. After a median follow-up of 77 months, complete remission, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival were not significantly different between the 2 groups. PFS at 6 years was 28% for patients with a donor versus 22% for patients without a donor (P = .19) and overall survival at 6 years from high-dose melphalan was 55%, irrespective of having a donor (P = .68). Cumulative incidence of nonrelapse mortality at 6 years after autologous-SCT was 16% in the donor group versus 3% in the no-donor group (P < .001). However, PFS was significantly prolonged in the 99 patients who actually proceeded to allo-SCT compared with the 115 patients who continued maintenance or received a second high-dose melphalan, but the difference did not translate into a prolonged survival benefit. These results do not support a general application of allo-SCT in all myeloma patients as part of first-line therapy.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Comparative Study
  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Algorithms
  • Female
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / statistics & numerical data
  • Histocompatibility Testing
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Myeloma / diagnosis
  • Multiple Myeloma / immunology
  • Multiple Myeloma / therapy*
  • Neoadjuvant Therapy
  • Netherlands
  • Siblings
  • Tissue Donors*
  • Transplantation Conditioning / methods
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Treatment Outcome