[Modified FLAG regimen in the management of refractory acute myeloid leukemia].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the therapeutic effect of modified FLAG regimen in the management of refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML).


METHODS
Sixteen patients with refractory AML were divided into two groups. In modified FLAG regimen group (n=10), the patients received fludarabine (Flu, 50 mg/d, VDx5 d) and Ara-c (200 mg/d, VDx5 or 7 d). The regimen for classic FLAG group (n=6) consisted of Flu (50 mg/d, VDx5d), Ara-C (500 or 1,000 mg/d, VDx5d) and G-CSF (300 microg/d, x5 d, subcutaneously injected 4-6 hours before chemotherapy). Each patient received subcutaneous G-CSF (300 microg/d) when the white blood cell count was lower than 1.0x10(9)/L till the condition was corrected.


RESULTS
The total complete remission(CR) rate of the 16 patients was 50% (8/16). Seven patients in modified group achieved CR (70%) and only one of the classic group did (17%, P<0.05). Episodes of infections were lower in modified group than in the classic group (50% vs 83%).


CONCLUSIONS
Modified FLAG regimen is more likely than classic FLAG regimen to achieve CR and reduce infections in patients with refractory AML.
Yang
Long-jiang
LJ
Department of Hematology, Nanfang Hospital, First Military Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. yanglongjiang@hotmail.com
Meng
Fan-yi
FY
Xu
Bing
B
Liu
Xiao-li
XL
Zheng
Wei-yang
WY
Zhang
Yu
Y
Huang
Fen
F
Xu
Dan
D
Sun
Jing
J
Liu
Qi-fa
QF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*
D003561:Cytarabine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine