Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Symposium 1

Treatment for POEMS syndrome: The current status and tasks for the future

Sonoko Misawa, M.D.

Department of Neurology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine

POEMS (polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes) syndrome is characterized by neuropathy with multiorgan involvement. High-dose chemotherapy with auto-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and thalidomide, which are new therapeutic approaches to POEMS syndrome could salvage lots of patients with POEMS syndrome and substantially improve the prognosis. However there have been not a few patients who experienced recurrence after ASCT, and part of those patients suffered very mild symptom at the time of the treatment. Indication of ASCT should be reconsidered and different therapeutic strategy such as combined thalidomide with ASCT might decrease risk of recurrence. Moreover we should consider other therapeutic option such as lenalidomide or bortezomib for refractory patients.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (167K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 52: 923|924, 2012)
key words: POEMsyndrome, vascular endotherial growth factor, auto-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation, thalidomide

(Received: 23-May-12)