POEMS syndrome is a rare form of B cell dyscrasia combining a proliferation usually of plasma
cells, a polyneuropathy, osteocondensing bone lesions and multiple other clinical signs.
Lenalidomide appears to be particularly efficient in this pathology.
The investigators propose a phase II multicentre protocol, based on the use of lenalidomide
combined with dexamethasone in patients presenting a POEMS syndrome, either de novo or
resistant or in relapse.
Patients who can be treated by local radiation or intensive treatment with stem cell support
will undergo 2 cycles of the lenalidomide-dexamethasone (Len-Dex) combination before
radiation or intensive treatment (Group 1), the other patients will undergo 9 cycles of the
Len-Dex combination (Group 2).
A biological study is coupled with this clinical protocol in order to define the best
biological markers predicting clinical responses, to better understand the POEMS
pathophysiological mechanisms and to set up a bank of samples which can be used to study this
rare pathology.