evidence:  Patients allocated to receive thalidomide also received that drug as maintenance therapy. The trial failed to detect a difference in overall survival (hr: 0.68; 95% ci: 0.38 to 1.22; p = 0.19), but the trial design did not have statistical power sufficient to address that outcome measure
intervention: 100 mg thalidomide daily in addition to standard doses of melphalan and prednisone
comparator: melphalan and prednisone
outcome:  progression-free survival and overall survival