title: A pilot study of imatinib, low-dose cytarabine and idarubicin for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in myeloid blast phase.
abstract: Imatinib is the single most effective agent in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) in blast phase (BP), inducing hematologic responses in 30 - 50% of patients. However, only a few of these are complete (CHR) and durable. Imatinib is synergistic with idarubicin and cytarabine. We administered imatinib 600 mg/day, cytarabine 10 mg/day subcutaneous, and idarubicin 12 mg/m2 intravenous every 14 days in 19 patients with CML in myeloid BP. Fourteen patients (74%) achieved a hematologic response: CHR in 9 (47%) (3 with complete and 1 with minor cytogenetic responses) and return to chronic phase (RTC) in 5 (26%). Median duration of response was 10 weeks (range, 2 - 89). Six patients received allogeneic stem cell transplantation: 4 CHR, 1 chronic phase and 1 BP. Median survival was 5 months (range, 2 - 20 months). This outpatient regimen is effective and well tolerated and perhaps superior to single-agent imatinib for patients in myeloid BP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Leukemia, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quintás-Cardama
authors.forename: Hagop
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garcia-Manero
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faderl
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ravandi
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wierda
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D001752:Blast Crisis; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015255:Idarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015464:Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D003561:Cytarabine; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D015255:Idarubicin