Repeated complete remission in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia after treatment with 13-cis-retinoic acid first and with all-trans-retinoic acid in relapse.

The use of retinoic acid is a new approach in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. We outline the therapy in a 61-year-old patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia who had not responded to standard chemotherapy but in whom the administration of 13-cis-retinoic acid resulted in complete remission for 24 months. In relapse the patient was treated with all-trans-retinoic acid in combination with two cycles of daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside and achieved another complete remission.