Klin Onkol 1999; 12(6): 185-190.
Summary: Myeloablative chemotherapy has improved the results of multiple myeloma treatment but the disease remains incurable. Residual disease eradication is one of the main goals for further improvment of the prognosis of myeloma patients. Interferon alpha maintenance therapy has controversial results. New methods, such as consolidation therapy, antibody therapy, gene therapy, interleukins, immunotoxins, dendritic cells, vaccines and induction of graft-versus-tumor effect, are being tested in phase I/II clinical trials. This article briefly reviews the new treatment modalities of immunotherapy. Progress in adoptive cellular immunotherapy and progress in induction of graft versus myeloma effect are very promising. We are stilI not able to transfer the good preclinical results of immunotherapy into clinical results,in vivo measured by event free and long-term survivals. Combination of myeloablative therapy followed by a new type of immunotherapy focusing on residual disease eradication evaluated in the setting of sensitive disease may be optimal. Such an approach could improve the current controversial status of immunotherapy in multiple myeloma.
