Randomized trial experience of the Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome.

This article summarizes clinical results of the Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome (IFM) trials: high-dose therapy (HDT) supported with autologous stem cells improves survival, melphalan 200 mg/m(2) is the best preparative regimen, unpurged peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) are the recommended source of stem cells to support HDT, and tandem transplants significantly improve survival. Although these results are encouraging, the current IFM 99 protocol will evaluate innovative strategies with the goal to improve long-term survival.