title: Treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia: a single institution experience.
abstract: The results of the treatment of 14 patients with promyelocytic leukemia (PML) treated with all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), combined chemotherapy (CT) and prophylactic prednisone are reported; the median age was 30 years (range 7 - 49). A complete remission (CR) was obtained in 13 / 14 patients (93%). All patients were given ATRA fully as outpatients; the CR was achieved after the administration of ATRA in five patients, whereas in the remaining eight, CT was required to achieve it. There were no instances of the ATRA syndrome. One patient relapsed with a PML/RAR-a negative PML 575 days after achieving the CR, failed to respond again to ATRA and died. The median overall (OS) and disease free survival (DFS) has not been reached, being above 4,000 days, whereas the 12-month DFS was 93%, the three and five years DFS being 85%. The treatment employed differs from others in: Oral prednisone is used prophylactically, ATRA is given on an outpatient basis and adriamycin is used instead of other anthracyclines. The results are similar to those obtained in other centers worldwide and it is possible that the prophylactic administration of prednisone precluded the development of the full-blown ATRA syndrome in this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Hematología y Medicina Interna de Puebla. gruiz1@clinicaruiz.com
authors.forename: Guillermo J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Argüelles
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morales-Toquero
authors.forename: José David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Gómez-Rangel
authors.forename: Briceida
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: López-Martínez
authors.forename: Guillermo J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Delgado
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Reyes-Núñez
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / Q000097:blood; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D015514:Oncogene Proteins, Fusion; C093476:promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor alpha fusion oncoprotein; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate