title: Cerebellar toxicity with high-dose cytosine arabinoside.
abstract: CNS dysfunction, especially impaired cerebellar function, is the dose-limiting toxicity associated with high-dose cytosine arabinoside, which precludes doses of greater than 48 g/m2. Four hundred eighteen patients between the ages of 2 and 74 years with leukemia or lymphoma received 36 to 48 g/m2 cytosine arabinoside either alone or with anthracycline antibiotics, 4'-(9-acridinylamino) methane sulfon-m-anisidine (m-AMSA), or total body irradiation. In only 35 of 418 patients (8%) did severe cerebellar toxicity develop; it was irreversible or fatal in four (1%) patients. The age of the patient was a critical factor in the incidence of severe cerebellar toxicity. Patients greater than 50 years old had a statistically significant greater incidence of cerebellar toxicity compared with younger patients (26/137, 19%, v 9/281, 3%; P less than .0005, chi 2). Neither the diagnosis, disease status, sex, nor the regimen altered the incidence of severe cerebellar toxicity (when corrected for age). A second course of high-dose cytosine arabinoside, administered to 62 patients, did not increase the incidence of severe cerebellar toxicity, which occurred in five (8%) of these patients. Two of the five patients had severe toxicity with the initial course. Of the 60 patients with no antecedent cerebellar dysfunction, three (5%) had severe toxicity with the second course: one of 41 patients were less than 50 years old; two of 19 patients were greater than or equal to 50 years. Since the occurrence of severe cerebellar dysfunction is greatly affected by age, reduced doses of high-dose cytosine arabinoside should be given to patients greater than 50 years old, and methods for reducing the cerebellar toxicity should be investigated in these patients.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine