High-dose cytosine arabinoside plus etoposide as initial treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia: a single centre study

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 830 - 833
• Main Authors: PARIKH, P, POWLES, R, ABOUD, H, CAVENAGH, J, ROWLEY, M, MCELWAIN, T, HEWETSON, M, TRELEAVEN, J, HELENGLASS, G, GORE, M, ROSE, M, TALBOT, D, MILAN, S, SMITH, C, PINKERTON, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.11.1990
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotherapy; Child; Cytarabine - administration & dosage; Cytarabine - therapeutic use; Etoposide - administration & dosage; Etoposide - therapeutic use; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute - drug therapy; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Antineoplastic agent; Human; Chemotherapy; Polychemotherapy; Malignant hemopathy; High dose; Induction treatment; Acute myelocytic leukemia
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/bjc.1990.387

In a single centre, 52 newly diagnosed patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) under the age of 56 years received induction chemotherapy commencing with high-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) and etoposide (Protocol BF11), followed by Ara-C, 6 thioguanine (6TG). A total of 67% of patients entered remission using these drugs. An anthracycline was added for those patients not in remission. The overall remission rate (CR) was 86.5% (45/52), with a minimum follow-up of 90 days. Patients are hospitalised for relatively short periods, and consequently require less blood product and antibiotic support. Patients in continuing first remission following induction with Ara-C and etoposide are similar in number to those in continuing first remission who initially received an anthracycline. This would imply that the efficiency of Ara-C and etoposide in inducing long-term disease-term survival is comparable with anthracycline-containing regimens. We conclude that high-dose Ara-C and etoposide used in the first induction cycle for treating AML have good antileukaemic effect with acceptable toxicity.