Low dose cytosine arabinoside in refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation.

Abstract

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are heterogeneous diseases. Patients with blast counts of more than 20% of nucleated bone marrow cells have a high risk of short survival. We treated six patients with refractory anemia with excess of blast in transformation (RAEBiT) with low dose cytosine arabinoside (LD Ara-C). We had one partial remission (PR), surviving 16 weeks and two complete remissions (CR), surviving 22 and 55+ months. Myelosuppression was dominant in all patients, but was not as serious as with conventional remission-induction treatments for leukemias. Bone marrow aplasia occurred in all responding patients, but a differentiation effect is possible too. Maintenance therapy with LD Ara-C may be important for the two long-lasting CR.

• Authors: M A Fridrik, G Wahl, W Herbinger
• Journal: Blut (Blut) Vol. 57 Issue 6 Pg. 357-60 (Dec 1988) ISSN: 0006-5242 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 3207893 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cytarabine

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Anemia, Refractory, with Excess of Blasts (complications, drug therapy, pathology)
• Bacterial Infections (etiology)
• Bone Marrow (drug effects)
• Cell Transformation, Neoplastic (drug effects, pathology)
• Cytarabine (administration & dosage, adverse effects)
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Female
• Hematopoietic Stem Cells (drug effects, pathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Remission Induction