title: Efficacy and safety of homoharringtonine plus cytarabine and aclarubicin for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome-RAEB.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the treatment outcome of homoharringtonine, cytarabine (AraC) and aclarubicin combination therapy as induction treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes-refractory anemia with excess blasts (MDS-RAEB). A total of 24 patients with MDS-RAEB who were aged between 18 and 66 years were treated with homoharringtonine, AraC and aclarubicin (HAA regimen). The HAA regimen consisted of homoharringtonine (2 mg/m2intramuscularly twice daily, days 1-3), AraC (75 mg/m2injected subcutaneously twice daily, days 1-7) and aclarubicin (12 mg/m2, days 1-7). The overall response rate was 79% with a complete remission rate of 58.3% and partial remission rate of 20.7%. There was no evidence of early mortality in this group of patients. The median overall survival (OS) was 36.2 months (95% confidence interval, 24.6-47.4 months), and the estimated three year overall survival rate was 45.8%. In conclusion, HAA combination therapy is a suitable induction regimen for patients with MDS-RAEB, which may improve the outcome forde novohigher-risk MDS patients, particularly of those with favorable and intermediate cytogenetics.
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Xiao
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Weilai
authors: W
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Liangshun
authors: L
authors: You
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Chunmei
authors: C
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Hui
authors: H
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310003, P.R. China.
authors: Wenbin
authors: W
authors: Qian
keywords: aclarubicin; cytarabine; high-intensity chemotherapy; homoharringtonine; myelodysplastic syndromes