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1: Blood. 2005 Dec 15;106(13):4050-3. Epub 2005 Aug 23.Click here to read Click here to read Links
Comment in:
Blood. 2006 Jul 1;108(1):403; author reply 404.

Combination therapy with lenalidomide plus dexamethasone (Rev/Dex) for newly diagnosed myeloma.

Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. rajks@mayo.edu

We report the results of a phase 2 trial using lenalidomide plus dexamethasone (Rev/Dex) as initial therapy for myeloma. Thirty-four patients were enrolled. Lenalidomide was given orally 25 mg daily on days 1 to 21 of a 28-day cycle. Dexamethasone was given orally 40 mg daily on days 1 to 4, 9 to 12, and 17 to 20 of each cycle. Objective response was defined as a decrease in serum monoclonal protein level by 50% or greater and a decrease in urine M protein level by at least 90% or to a level less than 200 mg/24 hours, confirmed by 2 consecutive determinations at least 4 weeks apart. Thirty-one of 34 patients achieved an objective response, including 2 (6%) achieving complete response (CR) and 11 (32%) meeting criteria for both very good partial response and near complete response, resulting in an overall objective response rate of 91%. Of the 3 remaining patients not achieving an objective response, 2 had minor response (MR) and one had stable disease. Forty-seven percent of patients experienced grade III or higher nonhematologic toxicity, most commonly fatigue (15%), muscle weakness (6%), anxiety (6%), pneumonitis (6%), and rash (6%). Rev/Dex is a highly active regimen with manageable side effects in the treatment of newly diagnosed myeloma.

PMID: 16118317 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1895238

Patient Drug Information

  • Thalidomide (Thalomid® )

    Thalidomide is used along with dexamethasone to treat multiple myeloma in people who have been recently found to have this disease. It is also used alone or with other medications to treat and prevent skin symptoms of er...

  • Lenalidomide (Revlimid® )

    Lenalidomide is used to treat a certain type of myelodysplastic syndrome (a group of conditions in which the bone marrow produces blood cells that are misshapen and does not produce enough healthy blood cells). Lenalidom...