Low-Dose Melphalan and Dexamethasone Compared With High-Dose Melphalan Followed By Autologous Stem Cell Transplant in Treating Patients With Primary Systemic Amyloidosis

Summary

RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as melphalan and dexamethasone, work in different ways to stop the growth of plasma cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Having an autologous stem cell transplant to replace the blood-forming cells destroyed by chemotherapy, allows higher doses of chemotherapy to be given so that more plasma cells are killed. By reducing the number of plasma cells, the disease may progress more slowly. It is not yet known whether combination chemotherapy is more effective than chemotherapy followed by an autologous stem cell transplant in treating primary systemic amyloidosis. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying the side effects and how well giving low-dose melphalan together with dexamethasone works compared with high-dose melphalan followed by an autologous stem cell transplant in treating patients with primary systemic amyloidosis.

Timeline

Start

2005-10

Primary completion

2012-07

Completion

2014-12

Drugs

Indications