ABSCS

autologous blood stem cell support

AE

adverse event

AiC

academic-in-confidence

BNF

British National Formulary

BSH

British Society for Haematology

CEAC

cost-effectiveness acceptability curve

CI

confidence interval

CiC

commercial-in-confidence

CR

complete response

CRD

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination

CSR

clinical study report

CTC

Common Toxicity Criteria

CTCAE

Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Effects

CTDa

cyclophosphamide, thalidomide and attenuated dexamethasone

CTRU

Clinical Trials Research Unit

DS

Durie–Salmon staging system

DVT

deep-vein thrombosis

EBMT

European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation

EORTC QLQ-C30

European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer quality-of-life questionnaire C30

EQ-5D

European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions

GIMEMA

Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche dell'Adulto (Italian Group for Adult Hematologic Diseases)

HDD

high-dose dexamethasone

HDM

high-dose melphalan

HDT

high-dose chemotherapy

HR

hazard ratio

HRQoL

health-related quality of life

HTA

health technology assessment

IBMTR

International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry

ICD-10

International Classification of Diseases 10th edition

ICER

incremental cost-effectiveness ratio

IFM

Intergroupe Francophone du Myélome

IQR

interquartile range

ISS

International Staging System

ITT

intention to treat

MIMS

Monthly Index of Medical Specialties

MM

multiple myeloma

MMIX

Myeloma IX Trial

MP

melphalan plus prednisolone/prednisone

MPT

melphalan plus prednisolone/prednisone plus thalidomide

MR

minimal response

MRC

Medical Research Council

MS

manufacturer's submission

MTC

mixed-treatment comparison

NCI

National Cancer Institute

NICE

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

NIHR

National Institute for Health Research

NR

not reported

NS

not significant

OLS

ordinary least squares

OS

overall survival

PBAC

Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee

PBPCT

peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation

PFS

progression-free survival

PPS

post-progression survival

PR

partial response

PSA

probabilistic sensitivity analysis

PSCT

peripheral stem cell transplantation

PSS

Personal Social Services

QALY

quality-adjusted life-year

QoL

quality of life

RCT

randomised controlled trial

RR

risk ratio

SCT

stem cell transplantation

SD

standard deviation

SE

standard error

SHTAC

Southampton Health Technology Assessments Centre

SPC

summary of product characteristics

SUHT

Southampton University Hospitals Trust

TAR

technology assessment report

TTP

time to progression

VAD

vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone

VAD/VAMP

vincristine, adriamycin and dexamethasone/vincristine, adriamycin and methyl prednisone

VAS

visual analogue scale

VMCP-IFNα2b

vincristine, melphalan, cyclophosphamide, prednisolone, interferon-α2b

VMP

bortezomib (Velcade^®) plus melphalan plus prednisolone/prednisone

VTE

venous thromboembolism

WHO

World Health Organization

All abbreviations that have been used in this report are listed here unless the abbreviation is well known (e.g. NHS), or it has been used only once, or it is a non-standard abbreviation used only in figures/tables/appendices, in which case the abbreviation is defined in the figure legend or in the notes at the end of the table.