Table 1.
Patients’ characteristics
| Characteristic | No. | % |
|---|---|---|
| Total No. of patients | 36 | |
| Median age at ASCT, y (range) | 49 (16-65) | |
| Sex | ||
| Female | 14 | 39 |
| Male | 22 | 61 |
| Monoclonal protein | ||
| IgA-L | 19 | 52.8 |
| IgG-L | 12 | 33.3 |
| IgG-L + IgG-K | 1 | 2.8 |
| BJP-L | 1 | 2.8 |
| Unknown | 3 | 8.3 |
| Polyneuropathy | 36 | 100 |
| Organomegaly | 32 | 88.9 |
| Endocrinopathy | 20 | 55.6 |
| Plasmacytoma | 2 | 5.6 |
| Osteosclerotic lesion | 25 | 69.4 |
| Skin lesions | 34 | 94.4 |
| Median percent of bone marrow plasma cells at diagnosis (range) | 2.5 (0.3-10.0) | |
| Median time from diagnosis to ASCT, months (range) | 7.6 (3-105) | |
| ECOG PS at ASCT | ||
| 1-2 | 23 | 63.9 |
| 3-4 | 13 | 36.1 |
| No. of pre-ASCT induction regimens | ||
| None | 2 | 5.6 |
| 1 | 13 | 36.1 |
| 2 | 8 | 22.2 |
| ≥3 | 13 | 36.1 |
| Pretransplant regimens | ||
| Thalidomide-based | 25 | 69.4 |
| Lenalidomide-based | 5 | 13.9 |
| Botezomib-based | 5 | 13.9 |
| Melphalan-based | 7 | 19.4 |
| Steroids only | 14 | 38.9 |
| Other | 13 | 36.1 |
| Hematologic response at ASCT | ||
| CR | 6 | 16.7 |
| Non-CR | 27 | 75 |
| Not evaluable | 3 | 8.3 |
| Ascites or pleural effusion at ASCT | 21 | 58.3 |
| Median serum albumin at ASCT, mg/dL (range) | 3.85 (2.9-4.9) | |
| Median serum VEGF at diagnosis, pg/mL (range) | 4425 (848-31 700) | |
| Median serum VEGF at ASCT, pg/mL (range) | 1410 (26-7870) | |
| Conditioning regimen | ||
| Melphalan 200 mg/m2 | 33 | 91.7 |
| Melphalan 140 mg/m2 | 3 | 8.3 |
| Median dose of CD34+ × 106 cells per kg (range) | 2.30 (1.44-4.6) | |
BJP-L, Bence-Jones protein-λ; CR, complete response; ECOG, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group; IgA-L, immunogloblin A–λ; IgG-K, immunogloblin G–κ.