The role of standard-dose cytarabine in children with acute promyelocytic leukemia: a single-center experience.
BACKGROUND
There are very limited data reported about the role of cytarabine (Ara-C) in childhood acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). We review the clinical course and treatment outcome of APL and explore the role of standard-dose Ara-C for children.


METHODS
Between January 1999 and December 2008, 36 children (<14 y) with newly diagnosed APL were included.


RESULTS
The overall complete remission rate was 97.2% (35/36). Two patients were lost to follow-up after induction. Two groups of patients were identified according to different consolidation chemotherapy regimens. Seventeen patients were given polychemotherapy in combination with standard-dose Ara-C (group I), 16 patients were given daunorubicin alone (group II). Although the 5-year estimate of disease-free survival between groups I and II had no statistically significant difference (P = 0.614), there was a 12% higher disease-free survival rate for group I.


CONCLUSIONS
Standard-dose Ara-C might play some role in the consolidation treatment of children suffering from APL.
Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, PR China.
Li
L
Zhang
Xiaofan
X
Zhu
Xiaojuan
X
Chen
Yumei
Y
Chen
Yao
Y
Zou
D000293:Adolescent; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003561:Cytarabine; D014212:Tretinoin; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D008727:Methotrexate; D003630:Daunorubicin