title: Post-remission intensive consolidation with high-dose cytarabine-based chemotherapy and granulocyte colony-stimulatory factor in adults with acute myelogenous leukemia: a preliminary report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Modern induction chemotherapy produce 60% to 80% complete remission in adults with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). A major challenge is to eradicate subclinical disease in remission and prevent leukemic relapse. Intensive post-remission chemotherapy was proved of comparable disease-free survival as BMT.
  
  
  METHODS
  From February 1992 to to March 1995, twelve patients with AML, aged 15 to 57 y/o, received intensive consolidation chemotherapy immediately after the first complete remission. The chemotherapy included either 4 courses of high dose Arac (HiDAC), 3 gm/m2 q12h x3 days, or 2 courses of HiDAC (4 days) plus mitoxantrone for 3 days and etoposide for 7 days (HiDAC-3-7). Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) used used 24 hours after chemotherapy until absolute neutrophile count greater than 500/mm3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Totally 24 courses of high dose chemotherapy were given. The median duration of severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophile count < or = 500/mm3) was 12 days, thrombocytopenia (< or = 50,000/mm3) 18 days, fever > or = 38 degrees C 6 days, and from severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophile count < or = 500/mm3) was 12 days, thrombocytopenia (< or = 50,000/mm3) 18 days, fever > or = 38 degrees C 6 days, and from severe neutropenia (< or = 500/mm3) to infection 4 days. Infection was the most frequent complication during HiDAC treatment. No toxic death was noted. After a median follow-up of 16 months, early relapse was noted in 3 patients (2, 4, and 5 months, respectively), and late relapse in two patients (11 and 20 months, respectively). Seven patients remained in complete remission status after a median follow-up of 14+ months (7+ to 37+ months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intensive consolidation chemotherapy is well tolerable and may prolong remission duration when used in the early post-remission phase of AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008942:Mitoxantrone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D012074:Remission Induction
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D005047:Etoposide; D008942:Mitoxantrone