BACKGROUND: @entity2816 is effective in approximately 30% of @entity1 with refractory @entity1582 . @entity619 is active in 25% of @entity1 with disease resistant to alkylating agents. We investigated the combination of @entity2816 with @entity619 as salvage treatment for heavily pretreated @entity1 with @entity1582 , in order to assess its efficacy and @entity137 . @entity1 AND METHODS: Forty-four @entity1 with refractory @entity1582 were treated with @entity2816 , 200 mg p.o. daily at bedtime, with dose escalation to 400 mg after 14 days, and @entity619 , which was administered intermittently at a dose of 20 mg/m2 p.o. daily for four days on day 1-4, 9-12, 17-20, followed by monthly @entity619 for four days. @entity1 ' median age was 67 years. All @entity1 were resistant to standard chemotherapy, 77% were resistant to @entity619 -based regimens and 32% had previously received high-dose therapy. RESULTS: On an intention-to-treat basis twenty-four @entity1 (55%) achieved a partial response with a median time to response of 1.3 months. The @entity2816 and @entity619 combination was equally effective in @entity1 with or without prior resistance to @entity619 -based regimens and in @entity1 with or without prior high-dose therapy. @entity137 were mild or moderate and consisted primarily of @entity1142 , morning @entity2147 , @entity400 , @entity2133 and @entity1897 . The median time to progression for responding @entity1 is expected to exceed 10 months and the median survival for all @entity1 is 12.6 months. CONCLUSION: The combination of @entity2816 with @entity619 appears active in @entity1 with refractory @entity1582 . If this activity is confirmed, further studies of this combination as second-line treatment for @entity1 resistant to conventional chemotherapy, and as primary treatment for @entity1 with active @entity1582 , should be considered.

XXXX and @entity619 combination for refractory @entity1582 .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'PATIENTS'] @entity137 :: ('MESH:D064420', 'Disease') :: ['toxicity', 'Toxicities'] @entity2133 :: ('MESH:D014987', 'Disease') :: ['xerostomia'] @entity2816 :: ('MESH:D013792', 'Chemical') :: ['Thalidomide', 'thalidomide'] @entity2147 :: ('MESH:D006970', 'Disease') :: ['somnolence'] @entity1582 :: ('MESH:D009101', 'Disease') :: ['multiple myeloma', 'myeloma'] @entity619 :: ('MESH:D003907', 'Chemical') :: ['Dexamethasone', 'dexamethasone'] @entity1897 :: ('MESH:D010523', 'Disease') :: ['peripheral neuropathy'] @entity400 :: ('MESH:D014202', 'Disease') :: ['tremor'] @entity1142 :: ('MESH:D003248', 'Disease') :: ['constipation']
@entity2816 :: (MESH:D013792,Chemical) :: ['Thalidomide']
