Melphalan in Multiple Myeloma

1. A group of 64 myeloma patients was given a loading dose of Melphalan, 0.15 mg./Kg./Dx7. This was followed by a rest period to allow bone marrow recovery to occur, after which maintenance therapy with a maximum of 0.05 mg./Kg./D was started.

2. To obtain good results, drug doses were required which produced significant bone marrow depression.

3. Subjective improvement was noticed in about 65 per cent of patients; objective improvement, in 78 per cent.

4. Fifty-five per cent of the patients had a response as defined in this study.

5. No difference in survival was found between males and females, nor between patients with Bence Jones proteinuria and those without.

6. Patients who have been on treatment for 3 months and were then found to be responders lived longer than similarly treated patients classified as nonresponders.