Tandem Auto Transplantation in Myeloma Patients With <12 Months of Prior Treatment

This study is designed to decrease toxicity associated with prior tandem transplant protocols by reducing the intensity of induction, consolidation and maintenance therapy, while increasing event-free survival by adding bortezomib (Velcade®), thalidomide, gemcitabine and carmustine to the transplant regimens to down-regulate the rescue of myeloma cells by the micro-environment and to prevent DNA repair post high-dose alkylating agent therapy. By reducing drug resistance, it is hoped that 3-year event-free survival will be increased significantly when compared to Total Therapy II. Additionally, participants will have the option of providing biospecimens for a sub-study evaluating gene expression profiling at specific timepoints to better understand drug-resistance in myeloma, and to determine whether there are genes or gene products in the resistant population that can be targeted by novel therapies.