Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on March 1, 2005
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi125
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1 Department of Internal Medicine, Gelre Hospitals, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Background: The effect of interferon- Patients and methods: In an open phase III trial, 262 patients, median age 69 years (range 34-91), received at least 10 monthly courses of melphalan/prednisone followed by response evaluation. Plateau phase was reached by 128 patients. Next, 90 patients were randomized between IFN- Results: At a median follow-up from diagnosis of 97 months (0-140) for those patients alive, IFN- Conclusions: IFN maintenance therapy in MM prolongs progression-free survival and, provided that the burden of toxicity is not too high, does not adversely affect QoL.
Received September 14, 2004
Revised November 22, 2004
Accepted December 1, 2004
Original article
Interferon-
as maintenance therapy in patients with multiple myeloma
2 Department of Hematology, University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
3 Comprehensive Cancer Center West, Leiden, The Netherlands
4 Departments of Medical Statistics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
5 Department of Internal Medicine, Catharina Hospital, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
6 , Department ofHematology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
7 Department of Internal Medicine, Rode Kruis Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
8 Department of Internal Medicine, Atrium Medical Center, Heerlen, The Netherlands
9 Department of Internal Medicine, Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
10 Department of Hematology, Leyenburg Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands
C. G. Schaar, E-mail: c.schaar{at}gelre.nl
Abstract 
2b (IFN--2b) on progression-free and overall survival as well as quality of life (QoL) was studied in mainly elderly patients with multiple myeloma (MM), who reached a plateau phase after melphalan/prednisone induction.-2b and no maintenance therapy. Reasons for non-randomization were: refusal (18), concomitant disease (nine), protocol violation (six), WHO performance status >2 (four) and allogeneic transplantation (one)-2b therapy was associated with improved progression-free survival (median 13.5 versus 8.4 months from randomization), although this did not translate in a better overall survival (41 versus 38.4 months). One-third of patients discontinued IFN- due to toxicity. No differences were observed between patient groups in QoL.; maintenance therapy; multiple myeloma.
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