title: High-dose cytosine arabinoside remission induction for acute myelogenous leukemia: comparison of two regimens of remission maintenance.
abstract: We report a single institution sequential trial of two maintenance treatment regimens for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). A total of 175 consecutive patients with AML received initial remission induction therapy with high-dose cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) and glucocorticoids. For the initial 63 patients (group A), the control population, planned maintenance treatment was with conventional-dose ara-C given over 4 days for up to 18 months. The subsequent 107 patients (group B) had planned maintenance therapy of up to 6 courses of daunorubicin, ara-C and prednisone and daily cis-retinoic acid for up to two years. The presenting features of group A and B patients were similar as were the response to remission induction, 60 and 52%, respectively. Severe neurological toxicity was encountered once after high-dose ara-C; no drug-related deaths occurred during maintenance treatment. Median duration of remission for group B patients was 9.9 months compared with 5.5 for group A (p = 0.0685). Median survival duration for the two groups was similar, 9.1 months for group A and 10.4 for group B. Survival of patients in group B who attained a complete remission was significantly better than that of patients in group A (p = 0.0439). The studies confirm our initial experience with remission induction using single agent high-dose ara-C and suggest a positive role for maintenance therapy in AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Ontario Cancer Institute, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Messner
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Minden
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lipton
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Tritchler
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: McCulloch
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin; D011241:Prednisone; D003630:Daunorubicin