Oral cyclic melphalan and dexamethasone for patients with AL amyloidosis

PurposeAggressive treatment of amyloid light chain (AL) amyloidosis with high-dose intravenous melphalan followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) is effective in inducing hematologic remission and clinical improvement. However, only selected patients with AL amyloidosis are eligible for HDM/SCT because of amyloid-associated organ dysfunction.Patients and MethodsWe report on 70 patients with AL amyloidosis treated with oral cyclic melphalan and dexamethasone.ResultsOf 48 evaluable patients who survived and returned for follow-up assessment, 6 patients (13%) achieved a complete hematologic response and 12 patients (25%) a partial hematologic response. Responses were non-inferior for patients receiving weekly “low-dose” dexamethasone compared with those receiving 4 day pulses. Median survival for the 70 patients has not yet been reached with a median follow-up of 17 months. Nineteen patients (27%) received additional treatment leading to improvement in survival.ConclusionMelphalan/dexamethasone can lead to hematologic responses and improvement in survival, particularly for those who can receive additional treatment for AL amyloidosis.