title: Long-term outcome of adults with acute myelogenous leukaemia: results of a prospective, randomized study of chemotherapy with a minimal follow-up of 7 years.
abstract: In a prospective study running between 1981 and 1983, a group of 156 adult (under 60 years of age) patients with de-novo acute myelogenous leukaemia were randomly assigned to receive a daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside and thioguanine combination or a regimen containing lower dosages of these drugs but also containing etoposide and vindesine. Patients who entered complete remission received maintenance therapy for 2 years. The survival and remission duration curves of the two groups were exactly superimposable and for this long-term analysis all patients have been considered together. The follow-up times range between 84 and 104 months. Actual survival at 7 years is 15% (95% confidence intervals 9-20%), with a stable curve thereafter. Actual probability of continuous complete remission at 7 years is 22% (95% C.I. 13-31%) with a stable curve beyond that point. These findings, similar to those of the few other studies of chemotherapy with comparable follow-up times, suggest that only a small fraction of adult patients become long-term survivors, irrespective of the precise type or amount of antineoplastic agents administered.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ematologia L. e A. Seragnoli, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bandini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zuffa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rosti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Emilio
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leoni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ciolli
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barbui
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Todeschini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D013866:Thioguanine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014751:Vindesine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D005047:Etoposide; D013866:Thioguanine; D014751:Vindesine; D003630:Daunorubicin