An Open-Label Phase I/II Study of Bendamustine, Weekly Bortezomib, Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a multi-organ neoplastic disorder caused by the clonal proliferation of plasma cells. It has an incidence of about 4.5/100,000 per year in the U.S., making it the second most common hematologic malignancy. For many years, alkylating agents have been the backbone of treatment. The combination of melphalan and prednisone was, for many years, the standard of care for patients who were not candidates for autologous transplantation. Melphalan continues to be the primary conditioning agent for autologous transplant,and cyclophosphamide has also gained a foothold in the treatment of this disease.

The introduction of novel agents has fundamentally changed the landscape of treating this disease, although the true effects on survival are not yet known. Immunomodulatory agents and proteosome inhibitors, including thalidomide, lenalidomide and bortezomib have been used in both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients. Currently, there is intense clinical research on the optimal way to combine these novel agents with the traditional backbones of treatment - including alkylators, with one another and, eventually, with the subsequent iterations of these classes of drugs. However, despite the therapeutic excitement surrounding this disease, most patients will relapse and a cure remains an elusive goal.