Dexamethasone and Chemotherapy With or Without Plasma Exchange in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma and Acute Kidney Failure
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00416897 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: December 28, 2006
Last Update Posted
: August 26, 2013
|
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RATIONALE: Dexamethasone is used to treat multiple myeloma. Drugs used in chemotherapy may stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Plasma exchange is a process in which certain cells are separated from the plasma in the blood by a machine and then only the cells are returned to the patient. Dexamethasone and plasma exchange may be an effective treatment for acute kidney failure caused by multiple myeloma. It is not yet known whether giving dexamethasone and chemotherapy together with plasma exchange is more effective than giving dexamethasone and chemotherapy alone in treating patients with multiple myeloma and acute kidney failure.
PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying dexamethasone, chemotherapy, and plasma exchange to see how well they work compared with dexamethasone and chemotherapy alone in treating patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and acute kidney failure.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Multiple Myeloma and Plasma Cell Neoplasm Renal Failure | Drug: chemotherapy Drug: dexamethasone Procedure: plasmapheresis | Phase 3 |
OBJECTIVES:
Primary
- Compare the effect of dexamethasone and cytotoxic chemotherapy with vs without plasma exchange on the likelihood of renal recovery (i.e., dialysis-independent at 100 days) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and acute renal failure.
Secondary
- Compare the overall survival of patients treated with these regimens.
- Compare the quality of life of patients treated with these regimens.
- Determine the value of renal histology in predicting recovery of renal function in these patients.
- Determine the value of serum free light chain assay in determining disease response and renal function recovery in these patients.
OUTLINE: This is a randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to planned chemotherapy (vincristine and doxorubicin hydrochloride (VA) or VA-like chemotherapy vs thalidomide-containing chemotherapy vs alkylating agent vs other), frequency of chemotherapy courses (1-3 weekly vs 4 weekly), need for dialysis at randomization (yes vs no), and age (< 65 years vs ≥ 65 years). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 treatment arms.
- Arm I: Patients receive oral dexamethasone, at least twice daily, on days 1-4 and 9-12. Patients undergo plasma exchange by cytocentrifugation or plasmafiltration over 2-3 hours in weeks 1 and 2 (7 treatments total; 4 of them in week 1). Patients then receive planned chemotherapy per local clinician on days 17-100. Chemotherapy may continue after 100 days at the discretion of the local clinician.
- Arm II: Patients receive dexamethasone and planned chemotherapy as in arm I. Quality of life is assessed at baseline, day 100, and 6 and 12 months.
After completion of study treatment, patients are followed at 6 and 12 months and then annually thereafter.
Peer Reviewed and Funded or Endorsed by Cancer Research UK
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 280 patients will be accrued for this study.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 280 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | A Randomised Controlled Trial of Adjunctive Plasma Exchange in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma and Acute Renal Failure [MERIT] MyEloma Renal Impairment Trial |
Study Start Date : | March 2003 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 2008 |

- Proportion of patients alive and dialysis-independent at 100 days
- Proportion of patients alive and dialysis-independent at 6 and 12 months
- Overall survival
- Glomerular filtration rate (calculated or measured) at 15 and 100 days and at 6 and 12 months
- Change in serum free light chain levels between days 0 and 15
- Response of myeloma to treatment at 100 days and at 6 and 12 months
- Quality of life

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
-
Newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), meeting ≥ 2 of the following criteria:
- Serum or urine* paraprotein
- Bone marrow showing > 10% plasma cells
- Lytic bone lesions NOTE: *The presence of typical myeloma kidney on renal biopsy is considered equivalent to the demonstration of urine paraprotein by electrophoresis
-
Acute renal failure attributable to MM, meeting both of the following criteria:
- Creatinine > 5.65 mg/dL OR urine output < 400 mL/day OR requires dialysis
- Unresponsive to treatment with fluids and/or treatment of hypercalcemia with bisphosphonates
- No significant intrinsic renal disease unrelated to MM
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
- Platelet count ≥ 50,000/mm³
- Bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
- ALT and AST ≤ 2.5 times ULN
-
No contraindications to study medication, including the following:
- Active or recent peptic ulcer
- Known significant cardiac insufficiency
- Allergy to study medications
- Not pregnant or nursing
- Fertile patients must use effective contraception
- No known HIV positivity
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
- No prior chemotherapy for MM
- Prior steroid therapy of ≤ 3 days duration for MM allowed

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00416897
United Kingdom | |
Basingstoke and North Hampshire NHS Foundation Trust | |
Basingstoke, England, United Kingdom, RG24 9NA | |
Queen Elizabeth Hospital at University Hospital of Birmingham NHS Trust | |
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, B15 2TH | |
Good Hope Hospital | |
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, B75 7RR | |
Birmingham Heartlands Hospital | |
Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, B9 5SS | |
Bradford Royal Infirmary | |
Bradford, England, United Kingdom, BD9 6RJ | |
Sussex Cancer Centre at Royal Sussex County Hospital | |
Brighton, England, United Kingdom, BN2 5BE | |
Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre | |
Bristol, England, United Kingdom, BS2 8ED | |
Addenbrooke's Hospital | |
Cambridge, England, United Kingdom, CB2 2QQ | |
Kent and Canterbury Hospital | |
Canterbury, England, United Kingdom, CT1 3NG | |
St. Helier Hospital | |
Carshalton, England, United Kingdom, SM5 1AA | |
Saint Richards Hospital | |
Chichester, England, United Kingdom, P019 4SE | |
Walsgrave Hospital | |
Coventry, England, United Kingdom, CV2 2DX | |
Harrogate District Hospital | |
Harrogate, England, United Kingdom, HG2 7SX | |
Wycombe General Hospital | |
High Wycombe, England, United Kingdom | |
Hull Royal Infirmary | |
Hull, England, United Kingdom, HU3 2KZ | |
Leeds Cancer Centre at St. James's University Hospital | |
Leeds, England, United Kingdom, LS9 7TF | |
Leicester General Hospital | |
Leicester, England, United Kingdom, LE5 4PW | |
Aintree University Hospital | |
Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, L9 7AL | |
Saint Bartholomew's Hospital | |
London, England, United Kingdom, EC1A 7BE | |
St. Georges, University of London | |
London, England, United Kingdom, SW17 ORE | |
Hammersmith Hospital | |
London, England, United Kingdom, W12 OHS | |
Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust | |
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England, United Kingdom, NE7 7DN | |
Nottingham City Hospital | |
Nottingham, England, United Kingdom, NG5 1PB | |
Oxford Radcliffe Hospital | |
Oxford, England, United Kingdom, 0X3 7LJ | |
Hope Hospital | |
Salford, England, United Kingdom, M6 8HD | |
Staffordshire General Hospital | |
Stafford, England, United Kingdom, ST16 3SA | |
Sunderland Royal Hospital | |
Sunderland, England, United Kingdom, SR4 7TP | |
Royal Cornwall Hospital | |
Truro, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom, TR1 3LJ | |
New Cross Hospital | |
Wolverhampton, England, United Kingdom, WV10 0QP | |
Cancer Care Centre at York Hospital | |
York, England, United Kingdom, Y031 8HE | |
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen's University Belfast | |
Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, BT9 7BL | |
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary | |
Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom, AB25 2ZN | |
Monklands General Hospital | |
Airdrie, Scotland, United Kingdom, ML6 0JF | |
Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary | |
Dumfries, Scotland, United Kingdom, DG1 4AP | |
Ninewells Hospital | |
Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, DD1 9SY | |
Edinburgh Cancer Centre at Western General Hospital | |
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH4 2XU | |
Royal Infirmary - Castle | |
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, G4 0SF | |
Morriston Hospital NHS Trust | |
West Glamorgen, Scotland, United Kingdom, SA6 6NL | |
Wrexham Maelor Hospital | |
Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom, LL13 7TD |
Study Chair: | Gill Gaskin, MD | Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00416897 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
CDR0000523378 CRUK-MERIT EU-20670 ISRCTN37161699 |
First Posted: | December 28, 2006 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | August 26, 2013 |
Last Verified: | June 2007 |
Keywords provided by National Cancer Institute (NCI):
stage I multiple myeloma stage II multiple myeloma stage III multiple myeloma renal failure |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Multiple Myeloma Neoplasms, Plasma Cell Renal Insufficiency Plasmacytoma Neoplasms by Histologic Type Neoplasms Hemostatic Disorders Vascular Diseases Cardiovascular Diseases Paraproteinemias Blood Protein Disorders Hematologic Diseases Hemorrhagic Disorders Lymphoproliferative Disorders Immunoproliferative Disorders |
Immune System Diseases Kidney Diseases Urologic Diseases Dexamethasone acetate Dexamethasone BB 1101 Anti-Inflammatory Agents Antiemetics Autonomic Agents Peripheral Nervous System Agents Physiological Effects of Drugs Gastrointestinal Agents Glucocorticoids Hormones Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists |