title: Clinical study on prospective efficacy of all-trans Acid, realgar-indigo naturalis formula combined with chemotherapy as maintenance treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia.
abstract: Objectives. To test the efficiency and safety of sequential application of retinoic acid (ATRA), Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF) and chemotherapy (CT) were used as the maintenance treatment in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods. This was a retrospective study of 98 patients with newly diagnosed APL who accepted two different maintenance treatments. After remission induction and consolidation chemotherapy according to their Sanz scores, patients received two different kinds of maintenance scheme. The first regimen was using ATRA, RIF, and standard dose of CT sequentially (ATRA/RIF/CT regimen), while the second one was using ATRA and low dose of chemotherapy with methotrexate (MTX) plus 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) alternately (ATRA/CTlow regimen). The OS, DFS, relapse rate, minimal residual disease, and adverse reactions in two groups were monitored and evaluated. Results. ATRA/RIF/CT regimen could effectively reduce the chance of relapse in different risk stratification of patients, but there was no significant difference in 5-year DFS rate and OS rate between the two groups. Besides, the patients in the experimental group suffered less severe adverse reactions than those in the control group. Conclusions. The repeated sequential therapeutic regimen to APL with ATRA, RIF, and chemotherapy is worth popularizing for its high effectiveness and low toxicity.
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Li
authors: 0000-0001-7536-4093
authors: L
authors: Xiang-Xin
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Wang
authors: W
authors: Lu-Qun
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Hao
authors: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250021, China.
authors: He
authors: H
authors: Xiao-Peng
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Li
authors: L
authors: Fang-Lin
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Wang
authors: W
authors: Ling-Ling
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Chen
authors: C
authors: Xue-Liang
authors: Department of Haematology, QiLu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
authors: Hou
authors: H
authors: Ming