COMBINATION THERAPY WITH INTERFERON ALFA-2B AND HYDROXYUREA DURING THE ACCELERATED PHASE OF CHRONIC MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

Inferferon alfa-2b (IFN) plays a major role in the current management of previously untreated patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CM L) as well as patients with CML who have relapsed after bone marrow tr ansplantation. Hydroxyurea (HU) is the best conventional drug for trea tment of CML in the chronic phase. Ten patients, six men and four wome n, 40-70 years of age, were treated during the accelerated phase of CM L with a combination of IFN and HU. Patients had received only HU duri ng the chronic phase of the disease. All patients were positive for th e Philadelphia chromosome and had an excess number of blasts in periph eral blood smears (more than 10%), as well as increased numbers of bas ophils and eosinophils but a low leukocyte level of alkaline phosphata se. Eight of them had splenomegaly. Five patients (50%) survived for 1 -3 years, achieving complete hematological remission. Three patients h ad a partial hematological response and died within 1-2 years. Two pat ients with aggressive disease died within 3 months of the blastic cris is. It appears that combination therapy with IFN and HU might be a use ful alternative for patients in the acclerated phase of CML who have f ailed to respond to HU alone.