[Continuous 5-day vindesine in the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas (author's transl)].

Vindesine is a semisynthetic vinca alkaloïd. The short plasma half-life suggested that continuous infusion can improve the therapeutic results by maintaining a constant plasma level. Twenty one patients (acute lymphoblastic leukemia = 5 cases; blastic crisis of chronic myelocytic leukemia = 6 cases; lymphomas 10 cases) received 5-day Vindesine infusion (0,7 mg/m2/d). All these patients had previously several treatments and were resistant to usual chemotherapies including other vinca alkaloids (76% of cases). Eighteen patients were evaluable for response: 13 (72%) had partial responses or minor regressions. Toxicity was not important. Continuous 5-day infusion of Vindesine might be used widely in patients with blood diseases.