J Korean Cancer Assoc.  2000 Oct;32(5):954-961.

Prognostic Implications of Cytarabine Dose in Consolidation Chemotherapy for the Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

• Lee JH
• Lee JH
• Lee KH
• Bahng H
• Ahn JH
• Lee JS
• Kim SH
• Kim WK

Abstract

PURPOSE: Increasing the dose of cytarabine in consolidation chemotherapy has been suggested to improve treatment outcome of the patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in complete remission (CR). We studied an effect of cytarabine dose in consolidation chemotherapy on the survival times.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From 1989 to 1998, AML patients in CR who received two or more courses of consolidation chemotherapy were included. At the first course of consolidation chemo therapy, all patients received standard dose of cytarabine (100 or 200 mg/m2/day by a continuous infusion for 5 days) plus anthracyclines. At the second or third course, one of three dose levels of cytarabine was given with anthracyclines. Three dose levels of cytarabine were standard dose (SD), intermediate dose (ID, 1 or 2 g/m2/day by a 3-hour infusion for 5 days), and high dose (HD, 3 g/m2 in a 3-hour infusion every 12 hours for total six doses). We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of study patients.
RESULTS
64 patients were included. The median follow-up duration of alive patients was 1,143 days. Estimated 3-year overall survival times were 24% in SD group, 41% in ID group and 56% in HD group (P=0.737). Estimated 3-year disease free survival times were 18%, 16% and 44% in each group (P=0.592). There was no significant difference in toxicity of consolidation chemotherapy between three groups.
CONCLUSION
Although the survival times showed a trend to be longer in the patients who received higher dose of cytarabine as consolidation chemotherapy, there were no statistically significant differences.

Keyword

Dose; Cytarabine; Consolidation chemotherapy; Acute myelogenous leukemia

MeSH Terms

Anthracyclines
Consolidation Chemotherapy*
Cytarabine*
Disease-Free Survival
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute*
Retrospective Studies
Treatment Outcome
Anthracyclines
Cytarabine