Premium
Low‐dose cytosine arabinoside in acute non‐lymphoblastic leukemia
Author(s) -
Kumar Lalit,
Kochupillai V.,
Dua Harsch
Publication year - 1989
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(19890201)63:3<415::aid-cncr2820630302>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - medicine , cytarabine , cytosine , lymphoblastic leukemia , chemotherapy , leukemia , gastroenterology , dna , biology , genetics
Eighteen previously untreated patients with acute non‐lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) were treated with cytosine arabinoside (Ara‐C) in low does (10 mg/m 2 every 12 hours) subcutaneously for 3 weeks. Complete remission (CR) was achieved in four patients (22.and%), 2 myelosuppression was observed in nearly all of them. Thrombocytopenia (20 × 10 3 /ul) was pronounced in the third week of treatment and six patients (33.3%) needed platelet support. Contrary to earlier claims, our experience suggests that treatment with low‐dose Ara‐C is associated with significant cytopenias. Ara‐C does not obviate the need for intensive supportive care and CR rates are no longer better. Low‐dose Ara‐C does not seem to be a choice in previously untreated ANLL patients who otherwise have a high probability of achieving a CR with standard multidrug chemotherapy protocols.