INTERFERON-ALPHA-2A MELPHALAN PREDNISONE VERSUS MELPHALAN PREDNISONE IN PREVIOUSLY UNTREATED PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-MYELOMA

Alpha‐2a‐interferon (IFN) has demonstrable activity in advance and refractory multiple myeloma (MM), because of the in vitro synergism between IFNs and cytotoxic agents we report the preliminary results of a therapeutic trial of 50 patients with MM. Twenty‐eight patients were randomized to receive melphalan plus prednisone (MP) and 22 were randomized to receive IFN plus MP (IFN‐MP). Criteria for response, progression and relapse were those of the South‐western Oncology Group. 95% of the patients receiving IFN‐MP responded to therapy as opposed to 68% of the patients receiving MP (P<0·05). Response was independent of M‐component immunoglobulin class but in stage III it was higher in the IFN‐MP group than in the MP group (P<0·05). The combination IFN‐MP was well tolerated without unusual or unexpected toxic effects. The response duration time was longer in the IFN‐MP group than in the MP group (P<0·025). The median survival was 80 weeks in the MP group and in the IFN‐MP group the 93% of patients were still alive after 90 weeks (P<0·025). Our results show that the use of the IFN as an adjuvant to MP improves the percentage of responders, the response duration time and the median survival of untreated patients with MM. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved