title: Idarubicin in the initial treatment of adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: the effect of drug schedule on outcome.
abstract: Fifty two adults (aged 15 to 66 years) with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n = 47) or lymphoid blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (Ly-CML, n = 5) were managed with three distinct protocols containing idarubicin at a cumulative dose of 36, 20, and 10 mg/m2, respectively, plus vincristine, L-asparaginase, and prednisolone (IVAP-1, -2, -3). IVAP-1 was highly toxic and gave a low complete remission (CR) rate (7/17, 41%). Nine patients died of complications while severely neutropenic, and one had resistant disease. In contrast, 24 of 28 patients subsequently treated with IVAP-2 achieved a CR (86%, p 0.005), the rate of both hematological and extrahematological toxicity being significantly reduced compared with IVAP-1 (p < 0.05). With IVAP-3, 6/7 patients aged > 60 years achieved CR. IVAP-2 with total idarubicin 20 mg/m2 is a very effective and well tolerated regimen for the initial treatment of adults with ALL.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Ematologia Ospedali Riuniti, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bassan
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Battista
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Corneo
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lambertenghi-Deliliers
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viero
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rambaldi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Emilio
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Neonato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pogliani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015255:Idarubicin