Conditions: Refractory Multiple Myeloma Stage I Multiple Myeloma Stage II Multiple Myeloma Stage III Multiple Myeloma
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 36
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This phase II trial studies the effectiveness of melphalan, peripheral stem cell transplantation, and interleukin-2 followed by interferon alfa in treating patients who have advanced multiple myeloma (MM). Drugs used in chemotherapy use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Combining chemotherapy with peripheral stem cell transplantation may allow the doctor to give higher doses of chemotherapy drugs and kill more tumor cells. Interleukin-2 (IL2) may stimulate a person's white blood cells to kill multiple myeloma cells. Interferon alfa may interfere with the growth of cancer cells

Detailed description:
PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate initial response to therapy, time to disease progression, and overall survival in MM patients treated with melphalan, IL2- incubated peripheral blood stem cells, and sequential IL2.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate grade 3-4 toxicities encountered by younger (\< 56 years old) and older (\>56 years old) advanced multiple myeloma patients treated with melphalan, IL2-incubated peripheral blood stem cells, and sequential IL2.

OUTLINE:

Patients receive melphalan intravenously (IV) over 2-3 hours on day -2 and an infusion of IL-2-treated autologous or syngeneic peripheral blood stem cells on day 0. Beginning on day 0, patients also receive IL-2 IV continuously over 5 days followed by 2 days off. Treatment with IL-2 repeats weekly for 4 weeks. Beginning 1 month later, patients undergo maintenance therapy comprising interferon alfa subcutaneously (SC) 3 times a week in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Arms:
arm 1: Patients receive melphalan IV over 2-3 hours on day -2 and an infusion of IL-2-treated autologous or syngeneic peripheral blood stem cells on day 0. Beginning on day 0, patients also receive IL-2 IV continuously over 5 days followed by 2 days off. Treatment with IL-2 repeats weekly for 4 weeks. Beginning 1 month later, patients undergo maintenance therapy comprising interferon alfa SC 3 times a week in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Interventions: intervention 1: melphalan intervention 2: recombinant interferon alfa intervention 3: aldesleukin intervention 4: in vitro-treated peripheral blood stem cell transplantation
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Given IV intervention 2: Given SC intervention 3: Undergo IL2-treated autologous or syngeneic peripheral blood stem infusion intervention 4: Undergo IL2-treated autologous or syngeneic peripheral blood stem infusion

Protocol document: