Antitumor Activity of Thalidomide in Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma accounts for approximately 1 percent of all cancers and 10 percent of hematologic cancers. It is incurable with conventional chemotherapy. 1 Melphalan-based high-dose chemotherapy with hematopoietic stem-cell support increases the rate of complete remission and extends event-free and overall survival. 2 – 4 However, many patients still relapse, and options for salvage therapy are limited. 5 , 6 Angiogenesis is important in embryogenesis, wound healing, diabetic retinopathy, and tumor progression. 7 , 8 The immunomodulatory drug thalidomide can inhibit angiogenesis and induce apoptosis of established neovasculature in experimental models. 9 , 10 For these reasons, angiogenesis-inhibiting drugs such as thalidomide may be useful for treating cancers that . . .