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A four‐year experience with anthracycline, cytosine arabinoside, vincristine and prednisone combination chemotherapy in 325 adults with acute leukemia
Author(s) -
Keating M. J.,
Smith T. L.,
McCredie K. B.,
Bodey G. P.,
Hersh E. M.,
Gutterman J. U.,
Gehan E.,
Freireich E. J.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19810615)47:12<2779::aid-cncr2820471204>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - medicine , prednisone , vincristine , leukemia , anthracycline , chemotherapy , gastroenterology , combination chemotherapy , acute leukemia , cytarabine , cyclophosphamide , cancer , breast cancer
Combination chemotherapy with an anthracycline, Adriamycin or rubidazone, cytosine arabinoside, vincristine and prednisone resulted in a complete remission rate of 62% in 325 consecutive unselected adults with acute leukemia. The results by morphologic categories were 58% for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 70% for acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL), and 77% for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The median survival was 43 weeks. Ten percent of all patients are projected to be alive and in remission at five years. The median remission duration for the whole group was 51 weeks, durations being significantly longer for AML (60 wks) than ALL (30 wks) and AUL (21 wks). Central nervous system involvement was uncommon in AML (4%), but much more common in patients with AUL (37%) and ALL (32%). One in five complete responders with AML is projected to be in their first remission at five years off all chemotherapy. Age, sex, morphology, cytogenetic pattern, temperature at presentation, and presence of a documented preceding hematologic abnormality are found to be significant variables for response and survival.