Remission induction in acute nonlymphocytic leukemia: comparison of a seven-day and ten-day infusion of cytosine arabinoside in combination with adriamycin.

Forty-six previously untreated patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia were treated with a remission induction regimen consisting of three daily doses of Adriamycin (30 mg/m2/day) and a ten-day continuous infusion of cytosine arabinoside (ara C) (100 mg/m2/day). The overall remission rate was 72%, with 88% of the patients less than 50 and 62% of patients greater than 50 years old achieving complete remission status. Thirty-one of the 33 complete remissions occurred after a single course of chemotherapy. Retrospective comparison of this regimen with its predecessor (identical, except that a seven-day infusion of ara C was administered) demonstrated that the increase in duration of ara C administration resulted in greater antileukemic effectiveness without an increase in hematologic toxicity to the patient.