title: Effect of low-dose cytarabine and aclarubicin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor priming (CAG regimen) on the outcome of elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of low-dose cytarabine and aclarubicin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) protocol in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). A total of 50 elderly patients including 8 aged over 70 years were enrolled. All patients were treated with CAG regimen including low-dose cytarabine (10mg/m(2) every 12h, days 1-14), aclarubicin (10mg every day, days 1-8), and G-CSF (200 microg/m(2) every day, days 1-14) priming. The overall response rate was 72.0%, and 29 of 50 (58.0%) patients achieved complete remission, including 23 of 35 (65.8%) with previously untreated AML, 6 of 15 (40.0%) with refractory, relapsed or secondary AML, 4 of 8 (50.0%) aged over 70 years, 4 of 10 (40.0%) with unfavorable cytogenetic aberrations. The early death rate was 7.6%. The median overall survival was 14 months. Myelosuppression was mild to moderate, severe nonhematologic toxicity was not observed. Thus CAG priming regimen as the induction therapy is well tolerated and effective in elderly patients with AML.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Province Hospital, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Si-Xuan
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Qian
authors.forename: Jian-Yong
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Yun-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yuan-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Han-Xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Su-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D015250:Aclarubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015250:Aclarubicin