Low-dose combination chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia in elderly patients: A novel approach

✍ Scribed by Manoharan, Arumugam; Baker, Ross I.; Kyle, Peter W.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 27 KB
• Volume: 55
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-8652(199706)55:2<115::aid-ajh12>3.0.co;2-d

✦ Synopsis

Eighteen patients aged 60-84 years with acute myeloid leukemia were treated with lowdose combination chemotherapy comprising cytarabine, etoposide, and mitozantrone or 6-thioguanine; seven of these patients had a pre-existing myelodysplastic syndrome. Nine patients achieved a complete remission, and five had a partial remission. The duration of survival in these 14 responding patients has ranged from 2+ to 19+ months. Myelotoxicity occurred regularly, with time to recovery (neutrophils у0.5 × 10 9 /L, platelets у50 × 10 9 /L) from nadir being 10-14 days in 12 of the 14 patients. This novel approach with an overall response rate of 78% appears to be a simple and effective form of therapy for elderly patients. Am.