title: Toxicity study of cytosine arabinoside and methotrexate in the maintenance therapy of childhood leukemia. A Southwest Oncology Group study.
abstract: In a toxicity study to determine the feasibility of treating patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) using an intravenous combination of cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) and methotrexate (MTX), the drugs were given either simultaneously or sequentially every two weeks. Twenty-nine patients were studied, 17 treated simultaneously, 12 treated sequentially. The tolerated doses of Ara-C and MTX were 60 mg/m2 and 90 mg/m2, respectively, for the simultaneous treatment schedule and 90 mg/m2 and 150 mg/m2, respectively, for the sequential treatment schedule. The dose-limiting factor of the drug combination was gastrointestinal toxicity. The observed recurrent vomiting on both schedules rendered the treatment unsuitable for maintenance therapy.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D008727:Methotrexate