Therapeutic effects of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in multiple myeloma patients

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) on the response and outcome of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and to analyze the factors influencing the prognosis of the disease. Retrospective analysis was performed in 27 patients with MM who had been treated by ASCT (ASCT group) and 28 patients treated with combined chemotherapy only (non-ASCT group) from May 2004 to August 2011. The impact on the depth of response, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) times, as well as associated prognostic factors of patients with MM, were analyzed. All patients successfully underwent hematopoietic reconstruction without transplantation-related mortality. The complete remission (CR) rate of patients in the ASCT group significantly increased from 25.9% (7/27) before ASCT to 70.4% (19/27) following ASCT (P<0.01). The probability of OS for 5 years was 52.2% for the patients in the ASCT group and 33.1% for those in the non-ASCT group (P>0.05). Univariate analysis in the ASCT group demonstrated that maintenance and consolidation therapies were associated with significant increases in PFS (P=0.01) and OS (P<0.01) times. The present study demonstrated that ASCT further increases the CR rate, prolongs PFS time and potentially increases the OS time. Incorporation of these novel agents, including the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and the immunomodulatory drugs thalidomide and lenalidomide, into the induction, consolidation and maintenance phases has optimized the anti-myeloma activity of ASCT.