title: Low-dose cytarabine and aclarubicin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for elderly patients with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia.
abstract: We evaluated the efficacy of low-dose cytarabine and aclarubicin combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (CAG) in elderly patients with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia. Patients aged between 60 and 70 years who were not eligible for standard chemotherapy protocols and patients aged over 70 years were all registered. Thirty-three of 68 patients (49%) achieved remission. Median disease-free survival was 10 months and overall survival was nine months. Performance status after chemotherapy in patients who achieved remission was generally favorable. The present study demonstrates that CAG therapy is efficacious and well tolerated in the majority of elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Immunology, NTT West Kyushu Hospital, Kumamoto, Japan. suzushima@ntthosp.jp
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzushima
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Eto
authors.forename: Taizo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: Michiko H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Kugimiya
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horikawa
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsuda
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsuya
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Asou
mesh_terms: D015250:Aclarubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D015250:Aclarubicin