Abstract
The adenine nucleoside analogue fludarabine phosphate in combination with cytosine-arabinoside (Ara-C) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G- CSF) has recently proved effective in the treatment of poor-prognosis acute non-lymphoid leukaemia. We used this triple combination in a case of Ph1 + chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) unresponsive to alpha interferon that had progressed to acute phase after 5 months of treatment with 6-mercaptopurine plus hydroxyurea. The patient was treated with four courses of fludarabine 30 mg/m2 + Ara-C 2 g/m2 (days 1-5) and G-CSF (from day O to polymorphonuclear (PMN) recovery). Bone marrow blasts decreased from 80% to less than 5%, and karyotyping showed a progressive clearance of Ph1+ metaphases (from 100% to 9% after the fourth course). The patient is presently receiving autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). This therapeutic success in a patient for whom conventional treatment would usually be ineffective makes this combination worthy of further studies, in view of its wider use as a preparative regimen to ABMT in CML.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 394-396 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | British Journal of Haematology |
Volume | 86 |
Issue number | 2 |
Publication status | Published - 1994 |
Keywords
- chronic myeloid leukaemia
- cytosine arabinoside
- fludarabine
- nucleosides
- therapy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Hematology