Post-remission therapy in acute myeloblastic leukemia a randomized trial comparing early consolidation plus maintenance versus maintenance therapy alone

Abstract

During a 5-year period 203 previously untreated patients with acute myeloblasts leukemia entered an intensive induction chemotherapy regimen with daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, 6-thioguanine, vincristine and prednisone (DATOP). The complete remission rate was 64% Patients in complete remission were randomly assigned to 3 courses of early consolidation with DATOP at lower dosage followed by maintenance chemotherapy, or to the same maintenance regimen in the absence of any consolidation courses. No significant differences were found between these options concerning disease-free survival (median 7.0 vs. 9.8 months; p>0.10) or survival (median 15.8 vs. 19.4 months; p>0.10). This study, in addition to the few previously reported randomized trials, suggests that early low-dose consolidation adds no benefit to maintenance chemotherapy in acute myeloblasts leukemia once complete remission has been achieved. ©1989 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.