Combination Chemotherapy With or Without High Dose Cyclophosphamide and Recombinant Interferon Alfa-2b in Treating Patients With Previously Untreated Stage I-III Multiple Myeloma

Exclusion Criteria

• •Bilirubin =\< 2.0 mg/dL
• •Serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) =\< 2.5 x upper limit of normal
• •Alkaline phosphatase =\< 2.5 x upper limit of normal
• •No myocardial infarction within previous 6 months, no significant arrhythmia within the prior 3 months; if hypertension is present, it should be under control prior to study entry
• •Patients with a history of congestive heart failure or myocardial infarction must have a normal myocardial ejection fraction as determined by echogram or multiple gate acquisition (MUGA) scan
• •No patient with angina requiring nitrates or beta blockers, or with a history of thrombophlebitis or pulmonary emboli within the previous 6 months and currently requiring anticoagulants
• •Patients with concurrent reversible conditions, e.g., infection, hyperuricemia, cord compression, hyperviscosity syndrome, central nervous system (CNS) complications, or renal disease may be entered into this study after appropriate therapy for these complications is initiated and the condition is controlled; therapy must be fully documented and dated on the on-study form; Note: Hypercalcemia patients may be entered directly on study and may receive corticosteroids, bisphosphonates, or other agents as needed for control of hypercalcemia; Note: Anemia patients may be entered directly on study and may receive erythropoietin (epoetin alfa: Procrit, Epogen, Aranesp, etc.) or other agents as needed for control of anemia
• •No smoldering multiple myeloma, nonsecretory myeloma, localized plasmacytomas, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), or primary systemic amyloidosis (AL)
• •No patient with second malignancies except: those treated with surgery alone who are disease free \> 5 years or patients whose only other malignancy is non-melanoma skin cancer or carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• •Patients \>= 70 years must have a performance status of 0-2, and be specifically evaluated by their physician to determine if they can tolerate either regimen; they should not enter the study if the physician feels that they would be unable to tolerate either regimen
• •Female patients of childbearing potential must have a negative pregnancy test documented before entering this study; these patients must be provided adequate guidance about birth control measures; lactating women will be ineligible
• •Pre-treatment baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status must be assessed
• •Patients that are known to have acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are excluded from this trial because the safety of the agents on this population has not been established
• •Participation in E3A93 is mandatory for all patients in E5A93; patients must be registered separately to each protocol, first to E5A93, then to E3A93; NOTE: Study participants from South African institutions are exempt from mandatory registration to E3A93 due to costs and problems associated with international shipping
• •Patients must give written informed consent