A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED TRIAL OF AUTOLOGOUS BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION AND CHEMOTHERAPY IN MULTIPLE MYELOMA

Background The median survival of patients with myeloma after conventional chemotherapy is three years or less. Promising results have been reported with high-dose therapy supported by autologous bone marrow transplantation. We conducted a randomized study comparing conventional chemotherapy and high-dose therapy. Methods Two hundred previously untreated patients under the age of 65 years who had myeloma were randomly assigned at the time of diagnosis to receive either conventional chemotherapy or highdose therapy and autologous bone marrow transplantation. Results The response rate among the patients who received high-dose therapy was 81 percent (including complete responses in 22 percent and very good…