title: The value of oral cytarabine ocfosfate and etoposide in the treatment of refractory and elderly AML patients.
abstract: Twenty-one acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients were enrolled and received oral induction therapy with cytarabine ocfosfate (SPAC) and etoposide (EP). The median age was 69 years (range: 33-86). There were 11 patients with de novo AML and 10 AML cases that had evolved from myelodysplastic syndromes. Seventeen patients had abnormal karyotypes including eight complex abnormalities, various complications, and 7 of 21 had a poor performance status (PS) with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores of 3-4. All patients completed induction therapy without severe adverse events. Seven achieved complete remission (CR), and two achieved partial remission (PR). Uni- and multivariate analyses demonstrated a positive and significant correlation between the results of therapy (CR +/- PR) and overall survival. The plasma concentrations of cytosine arabinoside (ara-C) in some cases were higher than those previously reported, indicating the accumulation of ara-C with increasing numbers of days of SPAC administration. We conclude that this therapy is well tolerated and useful for refractory and elderly AML patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University, Nerima-Hikarigaoka Hospital, 2-11-1 Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 179-0072, Japan. akhorik@med.nihon-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University, Nerima-Hikarigaoka Hospital, 2-11-1 Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 179-0072, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University, Nerima-Hikarigaoka Hospital, 2-11-1 Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 179-0072, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hosokawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University, Nerima-Hikarigaoka Hospital, 2-11-1 Hikarigaoka, Nerima-ku, Tokyo, 179-0072, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigemasa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D001088:Arabinonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D003568:Cytidine Monophosphate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D001088:Arabinonucleotides; C061162:1-arabinofuranosylcytosine-5'-stearylphosphate; D005047:Etoposide; D003568:Cytidine Monophosphate