title: [Long-term therapeutic outcome of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the long-term therapeutic outcome of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Newly diagnosed APL patients were treated with ATRA as induction therapy followed by 3-4 courses of combined consolidation chemotherapy and 2 year maintenance therapy with ATRA and 6-MP + methrotrexate, alternatively. Patients were regularly monitored with nested RT-PCR for PML-RARalpha fusion transcript at the end of consolidation chemotherapy and in the following 4 to 5 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 81 patients with APL were entered the trial, 75 (92.6%) patients achieved CR. Early death (ED) rate was 6.6%. ED patients had significantly higher WBC count and higher percentage of peripheral promyelocyte than those achieved CR. Of 65 patients received consolidation, 60 (92.3%) were proved PML-RARalpha fusion gene negative at the end of the 3rd courses and 3 (4.6%) the end of the 4th courses of consolidation. The mean follow-up was 21.2 (8-64) months, 6 patients relapsed (relapse rate 9.2%). The 5-year Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival (OS) rate was (86.6 +/- 4.6)%. For 65 patients received consolidation therapy, the 5-year relapse-free survival (RFS) rate was 82.7%. COX-regression analyses showed only high WBC count (>10 x 10(9)/L) had an adverse prognostic influence on OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than 80% of APL patients treated with systemic therapy could experience long-term relapse-free survival.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, CAMS and PUMC, Tianjin 300020, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Da-peng
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yong-ze
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Shi-cai
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yu-shu
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Zhi-jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014212:Tretinoin