Selective chemotherapy for advanced murine L 1210 leukemia by combination of 2' deoxycytidine and lethal doses of cytosine-arabinoside.

Oral administration of deoxycytidine simultaneously with intraperitoneal injections of cytosine arabinoside reduced toxicosis preventing drug death of mice with L1210 leukemia. These animals developed a marked antitumor effect having the median survival time (MST) considerably longer than that of untreated animals or of those receiving either of these drugs alone. At the optimal dose schedule 23% of mice survived 60 days. Under similar conditions mice with myeloid Graffi leukemia showed no antitumor response.