Prophylactic heparin therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia

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Abstract
Twenty-four patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia were reviewed. Group I, treated between July, 1970 and Sept., 1973, received arabinosylcytosine and 6-thioguanine, and there was complete remission, with 4/7 dying during induction with intracerebral hemorrhages and 2/7 dying within 1 mo. Group II, treated between May, 1974 and March, 1975, received daunomycin and arabinosylcytosine without heparin and 2/8 went into remission, with 6/8 dying during induction, 5 with intracerebral hemorrhages. Group III, treated between March, 1975 and Nov., 1976, received the identical chemotherapy as group II but with the addition of prophylactic heparin and there were 7/9 complete remissions, with 2/9 dying with intracerebral hemorrhages. In group III there was an increased incidence of remission induction when compared to group II (p < .05) or when compared to groups I and II combined (p < .05). There was also a decreased incidence of fatal hemorrhage in group III. This suggests that prophylactic heparin is useful during remission induction in acute promyelocytic leukemia.