Thalidomide/Dexamethasone vs MP for Induction Therapy and Thalidomide/Intron A vs Intron A for Maintenance Therapy

Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients with Multiple Myeloma of IgG, IgA, IgD, IgE, IgM lambda or kappa light chain, low secretory or non-secretory disease
* WHO performance status 0,1,2,or 3
* No prior treatment of multiple myeloma
* Clear requirement of treatment (usually Durie/Salmon stage II or III)
* Anticipated life expectancy of at least 3 months
* Adequate organ function
* Minimum recovery period of 2 weeks following any major surgical procedure before entry into this study
* Women, who are sterilized via hysterectomy or bilateral tubal ligation or at least one year post-menopausal
* Age of at least 19 years, there is no upper age limit patients must have been informed and must have signed an informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

* Extramedullary plasmocytoma or solitary plasmocytoma without evidence of dissemination of disease
* Benign monoclonal gammopathy
* Multiple myeloma of IgM without osteolytic bone lesions
* Smouldering myeloma
* More than 3 irradiation fields
* Irreversible performance status of WHO4
* Prior treatment of myeloma with any of the following: chemotherapeutic or immunomodulatory agents, corticosteroids, antiangiogenic agents or other investigational drugs
* Women of childbearing potential
* Preexisting peripheral polyneuropathy
* Congestive heart failure NYHA III, IV
* Acute infection requiring systemic antibiotics at study entry until resolved
* Any uncontrolled underlying medical condition (eg diabetes, glaucoma)
* Second primary malignancy (with the exception of cervical carcinoma in situ and non-myeloma skin malignancies) unless patient has been disease-free for at least three years