Intensive chemotherapy with mitoxantrone and high-dose cytosine arabinoside followed by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the treatment of patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
Thirty-four adults with refractory acute lymphocytic leukemia received salvage therapy with mitoxantrone 5 mg/m2 intravenously over 1 hour daily for 5 days and cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) 3 g/m2 intravenously over 2 hours every 12 hours for six doses, followed by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) 125 microgram/m2 intravenously over 4 hours daily until recovery of granulocytes above 2.0 x 10(3)/microL. Their outcome was compared with 29 prognostically similar historical control patients treated with the identical chemotherapy without GM-CSF. Overall, the complete response rates were similar in the treatment and control groups (13 of 34 [38%] v 11 of 29 [38%]). There was a trend for less remission induction mortality in the GM-CSF-treated patients (2 of 34 [6%] v 6 of 29 [21%]; P = .08), but, conversely, a higher rate of resistant disease (19 of 34 [56%] v 10 of 29 [34%]; P = .09). Recovery of granulocyte counts above 500/microL was significantly faster in the GM-CSF-treated group (25 days v 33 days; P less than .01), but there was no reduction in the incidence of febrile episodes (91% v 93%) or of documented infections (59% v 59%). Survival was prolonged in the GM-CSF-treated patients but was not of clinical relevance (31 v 20 weeks; P = .05). In summary, the addition of GM-CSF to intensive chemotherapy in refractory adult ALL was associated with a reduction in the remission induction mortality, probably secondary to a shorter duration of granulocytopenia, but not with an improvement in complete response rates.
Kantarjian
H M
HM
Department of Hematology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030.
Estey
E H
EH
O'Brien
S
S
Anaissie
E
E
Beran
M
M
Rios
M B
MB
Keating
M J
MJ
Gutterman
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006098:Granulocytes; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000209:etiology; D007970:Leukopenia / Q000209:etiology; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate
D003561:Cytarabine; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D008942:Mitoxantrone