Fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor for the treatment of high risk myelodysplastic syndromes

✍ Scribed by Felicetto Ferrara; Franco Leoni; Antonio Pinto; Salvatore Mirto; Enrica Morra; Vittorina Zagonel; Giuseppina Mele; Stefania Ciolli; Silvana Magrin; Marco Montillo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 96 KB
• Volume: 86
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19991115)86:10<2006::aid-cncr18>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

BACKGROUND.

The prognosis of patients with high risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (i.e., refractory anemia with excess of blasts [RAEB] and refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation [RAEB-t]) usually is poor. The combination of fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (FLAG regimen) has been reported to be effective in patients with these diseases.

METHODS.

Forty-two patients (32 with RAEB-t and 10 with RAEB) were treated with the FLAG regimen. The median age was 61 years (range, 27-74 years). Forty patients were diagnosed with primary MDS and 2 patients had treatment-related MDS. Induction therapy was comprised of the FLAG regimen, whereas consolidation therapy included idarubicin and cytarabine. Patients with a compatible donor and who were age Ͻ 50 years were scheduled to undergo an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), whereas for those patients without a donor and who were age Ͻ 60 years autologous BMT with peripheral blood stem cells mobilized by the consolidation regimen plus G-CSF was planned.

2012