First line vs delayed transplantation in myeloma: Certainties and controversies

Table 1 Phase III clinical trials of chemotherapy vs transplantation

Ref.	Publication year	Random	Patients n	ORR (%)	CR (%)	PFS/EFS	OS
Attal et al[4]	1996	ASCT	100	81	122	28 mo	57 mo
IFM90		CCT	100	57	5	18 mo	44 mo
				P < 0.001	P < 0.001	P = 0.01	P = 0.03
Child et al[5]	2003	ASCT	200	86	44	32 mo	54 mo
MRC VII		CCT	201	48	8	20 mo	42 mo
				P = NR	P < 0.001	P < 0.001	P = 0.04
Fermand et al[25]	1998	ASCT	91	78	57	39 mo	64.6 mo
MAG90		CCT	94	58	20	13 mo	64 mo
Barlogie et al[28]	2006	ASCT	261	93	17	17%	38%
S9321		CCT	255	90	15	14%	38%
						At 7 yr	At 7 yr
Fermand[27]	2005	ASCT	94	62	36	37 mo	79 mo
MAG95		CCT	96	58.5	20	16 mo	43 mo
Bladé et al[26]	2005	ASCT	81	82	30	42 mo	66 mo
PETHEMA		CCT	83	83	11	33 mo	61 mo
					P = 0.002
Palumbo et al[9]	2004	ASCT	95	72	125	28 mo	58 mo
MMSG		CCT	99	66	6	16 mo	42 mo
					P = 0.002	P < 0.001	P < 0.001

¹≥ nCR. Only statistical significant P is reported. CCT: Conventional chemotherapy; ASCT: Autologous stem cell transplantation; ORR: Overall response rate; CR: Complete remission; nCR: Near CR; PFS: Progression free survival; EFS: Event free survival; OS: Overall survival; NR: Not reported; IFM: Intergroupe Francophone du Myèlome; MRC: Medical Research Council; PETHEMA: Programma Para El Estudio y Tratamiento De Las Hemopatìas Malignas; MAG: Myèlome Autogreffe.