[Successful therapy of Ph1 positive chronic myelocytic leukemia with oral form of etoposide].
A 33-year-old female was diagnosed as having chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML) with Philadelphia (Ph1) chromosome and breakpoint cluster region (bcr) rearrangement. Physical examination revealed a huge splenomegaly and laboratory data showed WBC 490 x 10(3)/microliter and NAP score 44. She was treated with hydroxyurea, alpha-interferon, or busulfan, but severe adverse reaction such as skin rash, fever, and arthralgia, which allowed the therapy discontinue was occurred. When the patient was treated with the oral form of etoposide, a semisynthetic podophillotoxin, the number of leukocyte has been successfully maintained less than 10 x 10(3)/microliters at the dose of 50-100 mg/day and splenomegaly completely disappeared. Although Ph1 chromosome was unchanged in the percentage after the therapy for 5 months, etoposide may be effective agent for a chronic or accelerated phase of CML. Alopecia which was reversible and well tolerable was the only side effect of the drug.
Aihara
M
M
First Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine.
Sasaki
Y
Y
Yoshida
Y
Y
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics
D005047:Etoposide