The association of melphalan and prednisone, introduced in the sixties, allowed a dramatic improvement in the prognosis of multiple myeloma. The subsequent evaluation of different polychemotherapeutic schedules did not ameliorate the results with respect to the melphalan-prednisone association, which remains the treatment of choice in patients older than 60-65 years. In younger patients high dose therapy allowed, in the recent years, significant improvement in terms of reduction of tumor mass and survival. The use of interferon as maintenance treatment allowed a prolongation of the response phase obtained after induction treatment. In this paper we discuss current trends in the management of multiple myeloma and related complication.