Dr. Williams said that it remains to be seen, however, whether, as Dr. Cavalli suggested, certain treatment strategies could be used to lower the incidence of drug-related adverse events and improve PFS rates further, such as the use of subcutaneous rather than intravenous bortezomib, different dosing schedules, or rituximab in the maintenance phase.
The study was supported by Janssen Global Services and Millennium. Dr. Cavalli disclosed receiving travel support for attending the ASCO annual meeting, but reported having no other conflicts of interest. Dr. Williams disclosed consulting/advising for Millennium and receiving research funding from Janssen and Millennium.