Effective treatment of primary plasma cell leukemia with thalidomide and dexamethasone - a case report.

Abstract

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is an aggressive disease with poor prognosis and a median survival of only 2-6 months. Currently, no standard therapy is available, but intensive polychemotherapy appears to be more effective than the conventional melphalan plus prednisone. However, the efficacy of thalidomide in PCL has not yet been widely evaluated. Recently, treatment with thalidomide has been reported to yield promising results in refractory multiple myeloma. Here, we report on a patient with primary PCL in whom first-line treatment with thalidomide/dexamethasone resulted in a rapid response and achievement of a very good partial remission.

• Authors: Stefan Wöhrer, Jutta Ackermann, Catrin Baldia, Sonja Seidl, Markus Raderer, Ingrid Simonitsch, Johannes Drach
• Journal: The hematology journal : the official journal of the European Haematology Association (Hematol J) Vol. 5 Issue 4 Pg. 361-3 ( 2004) ISSN: 1466-4860 [Print] England
• PMID: 15297854 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Thalidomide
• Dexamethasone

Topics

• Adult
• Antineoplastic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Dexamethasone (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Humans
• Leukemia, Plasma Cell (drug therapy)
• Thalidomide (therapeutic use)
• Treatment Outcome