TriangleHEALTH PROFESSIONAL · SOURCE READING
Chemotherapy (cytotoxic agents)
Source: Plasma Cell Neoplasms (Including Multiple Myeloma) Treatment (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: April 25, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary.
Regimens:
Cyclophosphamide (+ bortezomib + dexamethasone in the CyBorD regimen).[81,82]
Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (in a modified VAD regimen) [83,84] or combined with bortezomib and dexamethasone.[85]
Evidence (chemotherapy):
A meta-analysis of prospective randomized trials compared melphalan and prednisone with combinations of other cytotoxic agents. No differences were noted in PFS or OS.[78][Level of evidence A1]
Source links and citations
The VAD regimen has shown activity in previously untreated patients and in relapsed patients, with response rates ranging from 60% to 80%.[79,80][Level of evidence C3] Because of logistics problems delivering a 96-hour infusion of doxorubicin, substitution with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin provides comparable response rates.[83,84]
Source links and citations
Chemotherapy alone has been used to obtain a clinical remission after exhausting most of the new regimens, allowing improvement in performance status that may permit subsequent use of clinical trials investigating alternative therapies.
Publication references
Read the original reference and check its publication notices.
Preserved source evidence · Not medical advice