[Treatment of multiple myeloma. High-dose intermittent administration of cyclophosphamide and prednisolone--follow up study of 10 years period].

Twenty patients with plasma cell myeloma were treated with high-dose (10 mg/kg) intermittent administration of cyclophosphamide for remission induction and maintenance therapy. High-dose intermittent administration of glucocorticosteroid hormone was also performed usually in parallel with large-dose of cyclophosphamide. A significant objective response was obtained in 12 of 20 patients (60.0%). The median survival was 32 months in all cases; 47 months in the responding cases. The response rate was not affected by the class of M-protein, the type of light-chain and/or the presence of bone lesions. All responders were on the 3rd stage. High-dose intermittent administration of cyclophosphamide was evaluated as very useful since it showed equivalent effects obtained by combination chemotherapy regimens, hardly producing bone marrow suppression.