title: Efficacy of oral fludarabine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and safety of oral fludarabine in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients received oral fludarabine 40 mg/(m2.d) for 5 consecutive days, each treatment lasting 4 weeks. The efficacy was assessed with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for response.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two patients received the treatment, a median of 4 cycles per patient. The rate of complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and overall response (OR) was 40.9% (9/22), 45.5% (10/22), and 86.4% (19/22), respectively. Among the 17 previously untreated patients, 7 (41.2%) achieved CR and 8 (47.0%) achieved PR. Two of the 5 pre-treated patients achieved CR and the other 2 achieved PR. During a median observation of 24 months, the overall survival rate was 81.8%. The main adverse reactions were myelosuppression and infection. Grade 1 to 3 granulocytopenia was found in 7 (31.8%) patients, and infection in 3 (13.6%) patients. Nonhematologic toxicity was mild. All the adverse reactions were reversible.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The oral fludarabine is effective, safe, and well-tolerated in the patients with CLL/ SLL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha 410008, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Qun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Zhaoxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014740:Vidarabine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014740:Vidarabine; C024352:fludarabine