"Boldness be my friend" (Shakespeare; Cymbeline)

Abstract

Au et al. report in this issue of Blood that oral arsenic trioxide (ATO) may be safely used in maintenance therapy in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL).1 This is a major improvement in convenience given that intravenous (IV) ATO requires daily administration for weeks at a time. In addition, the oral formulation may be less toxic. The time seems right to carefully explore the introduction of oral ATO earlier in treatment of the disease.