Trial for Patients Not Qualifying for TT4 and TT5 Protocols Because of Prior Therapy

There have been four previous Total Therapy (TT1 through IIIB) studies for multiple myeloma at the MIRT from 1989 to present. Results have shown that participants treated on these studies had better outcomes (meaning they have lived longer and had better responses to treatment) when compared to individuals treated with standard chemotherapy. Past studies conducted at the MIRT have shown that participants presenting to MIRT who have already received treatment for myeloma tend to have shorter remissions (disappearance of signs and symptoms of myeloma) and do not survive as long as participants who come to MIRT with untreated myeloma. Researchers at MIRT think that one reason for this is may be that the myeloma cells re-grow in the time when participants are not receiving treatment because they are recovering from high-dose chemotherapy. In this study, participants will receive several chemotherapy drugs previously shown to be effective in myeloma, but in lower doses and in shorter cycles. It is hoped that by giving the drugs in this way, myeloma cells will not have time to re-grow between cycles, therefore resulting in longer remissions. This study is being done in an attempt to improve the remission rate and the survival time for participants with high-risk myeloma.