Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0026764 (multiple myeloma)
 36,148 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Safety and efficacy of recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin alpha) were investigated in anemic patients with multiple myeloma whose hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was less than 10g/dl. Epoetin alpha (3,000IU/body) was given subcutaneously daily for two weeks and the dosage was increased to 6,000IU, 12,000IU and 24,000IU every two weeks when the increment of Hb was insufficient. Cases in which Hb concentration increased by more than 1g/dl or in which blood transfusion requirements decreased by more than 50% were judged to be effective. The overall rate of efficacy was 52.6% (10/19). Response to epoetin alpha treatment was better in patients whose blood erythropoietin level was relatively low. The majority of patients responded to the treatment with up to 6,000IU/body/day but a dosage of more than 12,000IU/body/day was required in some cases. No serious adverse effects or abnormal laboratory findings were observed. These results suggest that high-dose subcutaneous epoetin alpha treatment is effective for anemia associated with multiple myeloma in terms of increasing Hb concentration and reducing blood transfusion.
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PMID:[Phase II clinical study of recombinant human erythropoietin on the anemia associated with multiple myeloma]. 841 46

Many patients with solid tumours or haematological malignancies develop anaemia, and the use of chemotherapy aggravates this condition. Red blood cell transfusions are often necessary but are associated with many risks, including immunosuppressive effects that may increase the risk of tumour recurrence. Many clinical studies have shown that epoetin (recombinant human erythropoietin) therapy can ameliorate, or even prevent, the anaemia associated with chemotherapy and cancer (including solid tumours as well as multiple myeloma or lymphoma). Response, defined as a significant (>50%) reduction in the rate of transfusions and/or a significant (>2 g/dl) elevation of haemoglobin levels, is usually observed in about 60% of the patients, irrespective of the type of standard chemotherapy given. The decrease in transfusion requirements is the major objective of epoetin therapy, because they are costly, inconvenient and are associated with potential adverse effects. Epoetin therapy also brings about substantial improvements in various indices of quality of life that are proportional to changes in haemoglobin level. However, large dosages of epoetin are generally required and about 40% of patients do not respond even to very high dosages. A number of adverse effects of epoetin therapy have been observed in patients with renal failure. The most prominent include hypertension, headaches, seizures and thrombotic events. These complications can also occur in patients with renal failure who are not receiving epoetin. Their exact incidence has been assessed in placebo-controlled studies, which have demonstrated that there is no increased risk of thrombosis or seizure with epoetin. However, it is now generally accepted that 10 to 20% of haemodialysis patients will experience an elevation of blood pressure because of epoetin and there is no doubt that a rapid elevation of blood pressure may cause generalised seizures. In other settings, including anaemia associated with cancer, very few adverse effects have been attributed to epoetin. However, close monitoring of blood pressure should be implemented in patients with hypertension. There is no evidence that epoetin stimulates tumour growth. With the dosages of epoetin currently used, there is no evidence of stem cell competition, resulting in thrombocytopenia or neutropenia, or of stem cell exhaustion, producing secondary anaemia when treatment is stopped. Epoetin is a remarkably well tolerated drug that offers significant benefits in patients with cancer.
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PMID:A risk-benefit assessment of epoetin in the management of anaemia associated with cancer. 980 42

Multiple myeloma (MM) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients often develop anemia due to the disease process and effects from disease therapy. Blood transfusion, the established treatment, has an immediate effect in improving patients' hemoglobin levels. However, this effect is transient and transfusion is associated with several risks, including infections and mild to life-threatening immunologic reactions. A newer option is recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin); a biological treatment that leads to increased hemoglobin levels over an extended time without the risks of blood transfusion. Extensive evidence has shown that epoetin is effective in the treatment of cancer-associated anemia. An international expert panel met to develop treatment recommendations for the use of epoetin in MM and CLL patients. Based on the available data, it is recommended that treatment be initiated only after other possible causes of anemia are eliminated. Epoetin should be administered to any patient with hemoglobin < or=10 g/dl. Patients with hemoglobin 10-12 g/dl should receive epoetin if they suffer from significant symptoms of anemia and/or have progressively decreasing hemoglobin values. Dosage should be initiated at 10 000 IU three times/week or 40 000 IU once/week and be titrated to maintain hemoglobin at 12 g/dl. Nonresponsive patients (<1 g/dl increase over four weeks) may have their dose increased to 20 000 IU three times/week or 60 000 IU once/week, respectively. Epoetin treatment should be discontinued if there is no response to the increased dosage, or hemoglobin >14 g/dl. Treatment should resume for patients who exceed 14 g/dl, at a reduced dosage, if their hemoglobin falls below 12 g/dl.
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PMID:Management of disease-related anemia in patients with multiple myeloma or chronic lymphocytic leukemia: epoetin treatment recommendations. 1269 28

This phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Patients (n = 344) with lymphoma or myeloma received darbepoetin alfa 2.25 microg/kg or placebo s.c., once weekly for 12 weeks. The percentage of patients achieving a haemoglobin response was significantly higher in the darbepoetin alfa group (60%) than in the placebo group (18%) (P < 0.001), regardless of baseline endogenous erythropoietin level. However, increased responsiveness was observed in patients with lower baseline erythropoietin levels. Darbepoetin alfa also resulted in higher mean changes in haemoglobin than placebo from baseline to the last value during the treatment phase (1.80 g/dl vs 0.19 g/dl) and after 12 weeks of treatment (2.66 g/dl vs 0.69 g/dl). A significantly lower percentage of patients in the darbepoetin alfa group received red blood cell transfusions than in the placebo group (P < 0.001). The efficacy of darbepoetin alfa was consistent for patients with lymphoma or myeloma. Improvements in quality of life were also observed with darbepoetin alfa. The overall safety profile of darbepoetin alfa was consistent with that expected for this patient population. Darbepoetin alfa significantly increased haemoglobin and reduced red blood cell transfusions in patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies receiving chemotherapy.
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PMID:Efficacy and safety of darbepoetin alfa in anaemic patients with lymphoproliferative malignancies: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. 1287 66