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RETRACTED ARTICLE: Bismuth adjuvant ameliorates adverse effects of high-dose chemotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma and malignant lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation: a randomised, double-blind, prospective pilot study

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This article was retracted on 06 October 2020

A Letter to the editor to this article was published on 29 August 2017

This article has been updated

Abstract

Purpose

High-dose chemotherapy prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) leads to adverse effects including mucositis, neutropenia and bacteremia. To reduce the toxicity, we treated myeloma and lymphoma patients with peroral bismuth as an adjuvant to chemotherapy to convey cytoprotection in non-malignant cells.

Methods

This trial was a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of hematological inpatients (n = 50) receiving bismuth or placebo tablets, in order to identify any potential superiority of bismuth on toxicity from chemotherapy.

Results

We show for the first time that bismuth significantly reduces grade 2 stomatitis, febrile neutropenia and infections caused by melphalan in multiple myeloma, where adverse effects also were significantly linked to gender. In lymphoma patients, bismuth significantly reduces diarrhoea relative to placebo. Also, lymphoma patients’ adverse effects were linked to gender. For the first time, bismuth is demonstrated as a safe strategy against chemotherapy’s toxicity without interfering with intentional anti-cancer efficiency. Also, we show how gender significantly influences various adverse effects and response to treatment in both multiple myeloma and malignant lymphomas.

Conclusion

These results may impact clinical prevention of chemotherapy’s cytotoxicity in certain patient groups, and also, this study may direct further attention towards the impact of gender during the course and treatment outcome of malignant disorders.

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Change history

  • 06 October 2020

    This article has been retracted. Please see the retraction notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05770-w.

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Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the clinical research unit and the nurses of the Department of Hematology for their assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, Herlev Hospital, University of Copenhagen, 2720, Herlev, Denmark

    Per Boye Hansen

  2. Department of Hematology, University Hospital of Roskilde, DK-4000, Roskilde, Denmark

    Per Boye Hansen

  3. Section for Neuroprotection, Hjerneeksperten, 1718, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Milena Penkowa

Authors
  1. Per Boye Hansen
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  2. Milena Penkowa
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Per Boye Hansen.

Ethics declarations

The study was approved by relevant boards including the ethics committee and the Danish National Board of Health. This study is registered with EudraCT number 2007-007652-34.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

The study was funded by means of our institutions at the time of investigation (the Department of Hematology and the University of Copenhagen) and by grants from Herlev Hospital (PBH), Lægeforeningens Forskningsfond (MP) and Mimi og Viktor Larsens Fond (MP).

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Hansen, P.B., Penkowa, M. RETRACTED ARTICLE: Bismuth adjuvant ameliorates adverse effects of high-dose chemotherapy in patients with multiple myeloma and malignant lymphoma undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation: a randomised, double-blind, prospective pilot study. Support Care Cancer 25, 1279–1289 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3522-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-016-3522-6

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