title: Idarubicin in combination with intermediate-dose cytarabine in the treatment of refractory or relapsed acute leukemias.
abstract: 13 patients with refractory or relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 7 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were treated with a regimen that included idarubicin 12 mg/m2 intravenously daily for 3 d plus cytarabine 2 g/m2 by infusion over 3 hours daily for 3 d. There were 10 remissions (ALL:7; AML:3) in the 15 relapsed patients and 4 (ALL:3) in the 5 patients with primary refractory disease. Severe myelosuppression was observed in all patients. Toxicity of this regimen caused nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, infections and/or liver enzymes increase. Cardiac toxicity was not observed. 2 patients died in aplasia of Gram-negative septicemia and brain hemorrhage. In conclusion, the combination of idarubicin and intermediate-dose cytarabine (IDARA-C) seems to be highly effective and sufficiently well-tolerated for the treatment of refractory and relapsed acute leukemias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Ospedale S. Martino, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carella
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pungolino
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piatti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gaozza
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nati
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spriano
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Amico
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Damasio
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D015255:Idarubicin