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Idarubicin in combination with intermediate‐dose cytarabine in the treatment of refractory or relapsed acute leukemias *
Author(s) -
Carella Angelo M.,
Pungolino Ester,
Piatti Gabriella,
Gaozza Eugenia,
Nati Sandro,
Spriano Mauro,
Giordano Domenico,
D'Amico Tiziana,
Damasio Eugenio
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
european journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1600-0609
pISSN - 0902-4441
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0609.1989.tb00304.x
Subject(s) - medicine , idarubicin , cytarabine , refractory (planetary science) , gastroenterology , regimen , nausea , acute leukemia , leukemia , myeloid leukemia , physics , astrobiology
13 patients with refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 7 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were treated with a regimen that included idarubicin 12 mg/m 2 intravenously daily for 3 d plus cytarabine 2 g/m 2 by infusion over 3 hours daily for 3 d. There were 10 remissions (ALL:7; AML:3) in the 15 relapsed patients and 4 (ALL:3) in the 5 patients with primary refractory disease. Severe myelosuppression was observed in all patients. Toxicity of this regimen caused nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, infections and/or liver enzymes increase. Cardiac toxicity was not observed. 2 patients died in aplasia of Gram‐negative septicemia and brain hemorrhage. In conclusion, the combination of idarubicin and intermediate‐dose cytarabine (IDARA‐C) seems to be highly effective and sufficiently well‐tolerated for the treatment of refractory and relapsed acute leukemias.