title: Arsenic trioxide: an ancient drug revived.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the clinical applications of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), as well as non-APL malignancies and to discuss the mechanisms and adverse effects involved in ATO administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data in this article were collected from PubMed and CHKD database with relevant English and Chinese articles published from 1957 to 2011, with key words including acute promyelocytic leukemia, arsenic trioxide, treatment, and mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Articles including any information about ATO in the treatment of APL were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  APL is a rare subtype of acute myeloid leukemia, with dismal prognosis under treatment with traditional chemotherapy. ATO impressively increases the complete remission rate and prolongs survival of patients with APL, with only mild and transient adverse effects. The advances in the understanding of multiple mechanisms involved in ATO treatment will benefit more cancers in future.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Deeper understanding of mechanisms involved in ATO treatment may provide rationales for future clinical applications in a number of human malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China. zhoujin1111@126.com
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide; D001152:Arsenicals / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy; D015473:Leukemia, Promyelocytic, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy; D010087:Oxides / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001152:Arsenicals; D010087:Oxides; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D000077237:Arsenic Trioxide