Onkologie. 2011:5(3):141-145

Experience with the use of bortezomib (Velcade) in the Czech Republic since 2004

Viera Sandecká¹, Ivan Špička², Evžen Gregora³, Vlastimil Ščudla⁴, Vladimír Maisnar⁵, Marta Krejčí¹, Jan Straub², Petr Pavlíček³, Jiří Minařík⁴, Jakub Radocha⁵, Zdeněk Adam¹, Luděk Pour¹, Lenka Zahradová¹, Roman Hájek¹

¹ Interní hematoonkologická klinika FN Brno

² Interní klinika VFN, Praha

³ FN Královské Vinohrady, Oddělení klinické hematologie, Praha

⁴ III. interní klinika FN a LF UP Olomouc

⁵ II. interní klinika FN –, Oddělení klinické hematologie, Hradec Králové

Bortezomib (Velcade) is a representative of class of medicines called proteasome inhibitors. This drug represents quite new and unique

medical treatment of the patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This article presents a retrospective analysis of effectiveness and adverse

effects in patients with multiple myeloma treated at reference centers of CMG in the Czech Republic. A total 424 patients with multiple

myeloma treated with bortezomib from June 2004 to June 2010 were evaluated. The median follow-up was 12,4 months. The mean age

of patients was 66 year (34,1–86,5) and majority of them were patients with relapsed multiple myeloma. Of the total 424 patients, 205

patients had bortezomib as second line therapy (48,3 %). Assessment of terapeutic response was possible in 83,3 % of treated patients

(353/424). Therapeutic response (defined as a ≥ 50 % decrease in the serum MIG) was achieved in 52,7 % (186/353). Among mentioned

responses, complete response was obtained in 14,2 % (50/353). The most severe toxicity observed was peripheral neuropathy, grade 3 or

higher was developed in 14 % (49/358). There was recorded a thrombocytopenia grade 3 or higher in 28,8 % (103/357), further occurance

of infections grade 2 or higher in 33,6 % (121/359) and eventually we could observe increased number of thromboembolic disease as well.

Rapid onset of therapeutic responses and high percentage of obtained complete responses are the main reasons of extraordinary clinical

benefit of bortezomib. The most of adverse effects are well controllable by means of appropriate prophylactic precautions, short-term

interruptions of treatment, followed by adjustments based on the valid recommendations.

Keywords: bortezomib, multiple myeloma, treatment response

Published: July 1, 2011  Show citation