Does treatment with ARA-C in low dosage cause differentiation of leukemic
cells?
S Castaigne, MT Daniel, H Tilly, P Herait and L Degos
A series of 21 patients (5 refractory anemias with an excess of blasts in
transformation and 16 acute leukemias) were treated with small doses of
ARA-C (10 mg/sq m/12 hr for 15-21 days). Improvement was noted in 15 cases
(71%) and complete remission observed in 12 (57%). Complete remission was
obtained after one course of treatment in 8 cases. The fact that these
patients entered remission relatively slowly and did not suffer marrow
aplasia suggests that low-dose ARA-C may function in vivo as it does in
vitro, i.e., by inducing differentiation of leukemic blasts.
Volume 62,
Issue 1,
pp. 85-86,
07/01/1983
Copyright © 1983 by The American Society of Hematology