Philip D. Ross, Lisa Palermo, Thomas Musliner, Harry K. Genant, Dennis Black, and Desmond E. Thompson, for the Fracture Intervention Trial Research Group Women with radiographic evidence of vertebral fracture may be unaware of the fracture. The index identified women who were likely to have undiagnosed vertebral fractures. Further research will determine the validity of the index. 897 Thalidomide in the Treatment of Relapsed Multiple Myeloma S. Vincent Rajkumar, Rafael Fonseca, Angela Dispenzieri, Martha Q. Lacy, John A. Lust, Thomas E. Witzig, Robert A. Kyle, Morie A. Gertz, and Philip R. Greipp Multiple myeloma accounts for more than 11,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Most patients experience relapse after chemotherapy, and therapy for relapse is disappointing.
Thalidomide, a drug that has immunomodulating and antiangiogenic properties, was used to treat 16 patients with relapsed multiple myeloma between November 1998 and August 1999. Four patients achieved a partial response. In this practice improvement study, patients with a history of penicillin or cephalosporin allergy scheduled for elective orthopedic surgery had targeted allergy consultation and penicillin allergy skin testing. Fifty-four patients were approved to receive cefazolin, and 6 received vancomycin. None had an immediate reaction to either drug.