Thalidomide–dexamethasone as up-front therapy for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: thrombophilic alterations, thrombotic complications, and thromboprophylaxis with low-dose warfarin

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major complication of myeloma therapy recently observed with the increasing use of up-front thalidomide and dexamethasone (thal–dex). The pathogenesis of thal-induced VTE is not well recognized, and the role of prothrombotic factors, especially of thrombophilic abnormalities, is not yet determined.

Material and methods: Two hundred and sixty-six patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) were primarily treated with thal–dex in preparation for subsequent high-dose therapy and autologous stem-cell transplantation. Out of these 266 patients, 190 were evaluated for thrombophilic alterations at baseline, and 125 of them were also re-assessed after thal–dex therapy.

Results: The presence of genetic thrombophilic polymorphisms among patients with MM was superimposable to that of normal controls and was associated with a twofold increase in the relative risk of VTE. aAPCR and elevated factor VIII levels were frequent, albeit transient, alterations and were not associated with a significant increase in the risk of VTE. Two hundred and forty-six patients received a thromboprophylaxis with fixed low-dose warfarin (1.25 mg/day) during thal–dex therapy. Of these patients (or 10.6%), 26 had symptomatic VTE events. Their patients-years rate of VTE (35.5%) was significantly lower in comparison with the 86.2% rate recorded among the first 19 patients who initially entered the study and did not receive any kind of thromboprophylaxis (P = 0.043).

Conclusions: On the basis of these data, a baseline thrombophilic work up is not recommended in patients with receiving up-front thal–dex. For these patients, fixed low-dose warfarin may be a valuable prophylaxis against VTE.