AMSACRINE IN REFRACTORY ADULT ACUTE-LEUKEMIA - A PILOT-STUDY OF THE SOUTHEASTERN-CANCER-STUDY-GROUP

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 67  (11) , 977-980
Abstract
A phase II pilot study of amsacrine in refractory adult acute leukemia was conducted by the Southeastern Cancer Study Group from May 1979 to August 1980. Amsacrine, 90 mg/m2, was given daily for 5-8 days to 45 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), 15 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 6 patients with blastic transformation of chronic granulocytic leukemia. Of the 66 patients entered in the study, 59 (89%) were evaluable for response. Complete remissions were observed in 8 of 41 evaluable patients with AML (20%) and in 3 of 12 with ALL (25%). Remissions were short-lived (median, 7.9 wk; range, 2-27). Toxic effects included the expected myelosuppression (100%), as well as moderate to severe stomatitis (46%), hyperbilirubinemia (30%), and supraventricular tachycardia (1.5%). This cooperative group pilot study confirms previous reports from single institutions that amsacrine is a useful drug in the treatment of refractory adult acute leukemia and is worthy of further study.