Ludwig H, Pietschmann H
Acta Med Austriaca. 1979;6(5):255-60.
Multiple myeloma can be regarded as model disease for quantification of tumor mass, investigation of tumor cell kinetics and of tumor response to therapy. The quantification of the tumor cell number allows evaluation of prognosis and monitoring of disease as well as of therapy induced responses. Treatment of multiple myeloma is primarily based on the alkylating drugs cyclophosphamide and melphalan. In recent years other cytostatic substances, also effective in the treatment of this disorder have been introduced. However, the sensitivity determination of the individual myeloma stem cells seems to be the only possible method which possibly increases the response rate significantly. In accordance with these considerations we have, in preliminary clinical investigations, observed a good correlation between the in vitro determined cytostatic drug sensitivity and the in vivo response to therapy. Further progress in the treatment of multiple myeloma is to be expected with the introduction of interferon into the therapeutic regimen. Administration of this glycoprotein has resulted in significant reduction of tumor mass in more than half of all patients treated up to this time.
多发性骨髓瘤可被视为用于肿瘤质量定量、肿瘤细胞动力学研究以及肿瘤对治疗反应研究的模型疾病。肿瘤细胞数量的定量有助于评估预后、监测疾病以及治疗诱导的反应。多发性骨髓瘤的治疗主要基于烷化剂环磷酰胺和美法仑。近年来，已引入其他对该疾病治疗也有效的细胞毒性物质。然而，确定单个骨髓瘤干细胞的敏感性似乎是唯一可能显著提高缓解率的方法。基于这些考虑，在初步临床研究中，我们观察到体外测定的细胞毒性药物敏感性与体内治疗反应之间存在良好的相关性。随着将干扰素引入治疗方案，多发性骨髓瘤的治疗有望取得进一步进展。给予这种糖蛋白已使截至目前接受治疗的所有患者中超过一半的肿瘤质量显著降低。
