title: Combination chemotherapy for acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia in adults.
abstract: Between January 1973 and February 1975, 77 adults with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia were treated with a combination of daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, 6-thioguanine, prednisone, and vincristine in university-affiliated and private institutions. After 31 patients were treated (regimen 1) the doses of all drugs were significantly increased (regimen 2). Regimes 1 and 2 yielded CR rates of 59% (17 of 29 patients) and 70% (32 of 46 patients) respectively. With regimens 2 the mean number of courses and the median number of days to CR decreased from 3 to 1.4 and from 46 to 29 respectively. Failure to achieve CR was due to persistent leukemia during regimen 1 and fatal infections during regimen 2. With regimen 2 ten of 20 patients (50%) greater than 50 years had CR compared to 22 of 26 patients (85%) less than 50 years. CR rates were similar in community and university institutions.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000493:Allopurinol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013866:Thioguanine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D000493:Allopurinol; D013866:Thioguanine; D011241:Prednisone; D003630:Daunorubicin