Tandem Melphalan and Autolog. SCT in MM Patients 60 to 70 Years of Age With and Without Induction Chemotherapy

Inclusion Criteria: * Histological confirmed multiple myeloma stage II or III according to the classification of Salmon and Durie * Aged between 60 and 70 years * Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0-2 * Signed and dated written informed consent * No previous chemotherapy or not more than one cycle in total or previous chemotherapy of more than one cycle if paused for at least 6 months and not more than six cycles in total (arm A1 and A2 only) * Ongoing primary chemotherapy of two to maximum six cycles (arm B only) Exclusion Criteria: * Multiple myeloma stage I according to the classification of Salmon and Durie without need of any therapy * Aged under 60 or over 70 years * ECOG performance status \>2 * Previous chemotherapy of more than six cycles * Informed consent missing * Myocardial infarction within the last six months * Cardiac dysrhythmia stage IV b according to the classification of Lown * Heart failure \>NYHA II according to the classification of the New York Heart Association (NYHA), left ventricular ejection fraction \<50% in ECG * Severe restrictive or obstructive pulmonary disease (diffusing capacity \<60% under normal) * Renal insufficiency including a serum creatinine level \>2mg/dl if not caused by multiple myeloma and reversible * Liver diseases combined with an elevation of transaminases and of bilirubin of three times above normal * Severe infections (HIV, hepatitis B/C, syphilis etc. ) * Severe psychiatric disease * Other not curative treated malignant tumor within the last five years * Concurrent participation in other clinical studies * Other not curative treated malignant tumor within the last five years