Combination chemotherapy with MCNU, vindesine, melphalan, and prednisolone (MCNU-VMP therapy) in induction therapy for multiple myeloma. Japan Myeloma Study Group.

From January 1988 until December 1990, 99 previously untreated patients with multiple myeloma (MM) were enrolled in a randomized prospective study comparing two combination chemotherapies with and without MCNU as induction therapy for MM; 49 patients with vindesine, melphalan and prednisolone (VMP therapy) versus 50 patients with MCNU, vindesine, melphalan and prednisolone (MCNU-VMP therapy). Seventy-two evaluable patients (34 patients in the VMP group, 38 in the MCNU-VMP group) were analyzed. The response rate was slightly higher with MCNU-VMP than with VMP (81.6% vs. 64.7%). In 43 responders (21 patients in the VMP group and 22 in the MCNU-VMP group) who were treated with the same regimen as the induction therapy to maintain remission, the remission duration was significantly longer in patients treated with MCNU-VMP than in those treated with VMP (median > 10.1 vs. 8.0 months, P = 0.018), particularly in patients with PS 3-4. The remission duration in the MCNU-VMP group was also slightly longer in the patients with stage III disease and who were older than 65 years. The median survival time showed no significant difference between the VMP group (20.3 months) and the MCNU-VMP group (> 15 months). Leukopenia, thrombocytopenia and nausea/vomiting were found to be somewhat severe in the MCNU-VMP group. In summary, MCNU-VMP therapy is effective as induction therapy for MM.