Thalidomide and bortezomib overcome the prognostic significance of proliferative index in multiple myeloma.

UNLABELLED: We analyzed proliferative index of myeloma plasmocytes (PC-PI) in acohort of 217 patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with conventional chemotherapy and biological agents, thalidomide and bortezomib. In the whole group was adifference between overall survival (OS) favoring patients with PC-PI ven after 40 months (median overall survival 25 vs 10months, p= 0.015), whereas in the group treated with thalidomide and bortezomib was no difference, with medians over 39 months. Even patients with low PC-PI profited from the treatment with novel drugs. Presented results suggest that the treatment of MM with novel agents overcomes the prognostic significance of PC-PI and should be used in all MM patients. KEYWORDS: myeloma -prognostication -proliferative index -biological therapy.