Complete remission of a relapsing adult T cell leukaemia following treatment of a secondary acute promyelocytic leukaemia: towards a reappraisal of arsenic trioxide and all-transretinoic acid?

Abstract

Despite improvements in therapeutic options, human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1)-related adult T cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL) has a dismal prognosis. The present report concerns the case of a multirelapsing ATLL that reached a complete remission following the treatment of a secondary acute promyelocytic leukaemia with cytarabine, anthracyclin, all-transretinoic acid and arsenic trioxide. This unexpected result with a multitreated/chemorefractory disease led us to reconsider the potential therapeutic benefits of arsenic trioxide, which has demonstrated efficacy against ATLL cells.

• Authors: Marie-Olivia Chandesris, David Ghez, Caroline Besson, Felipe Suarez, Richard Delarue, Marie-Thérèse Rubio, Ali Bazarbachi, Bruno Varet, Olivier Hermine
• Journal: BMJ case reports (BMJ Case Rep) Vol. 2009 ( 2009) ISSN: 1757-790X [Print] England
• PMID: 21829417 (Publication Type: Journal Article)