GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR SUPPORT IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE NONLYMPHATIC LEUKEMIA

Forty-one patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia were treated between March 1990 and November 1993 with mitoxantrone, cytarabine, et oposide and granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) started on day 1. This was given as induction, consolidation and inten sification treatment. A complete response was obtained in 26 of 41 (63 %) patients. The median survival of the 25 evaluable patients in compl ete remission was 18 months. The median duration to neutropenia <500/m u l was 20 days during induction, 15 days during consolidation, 21 day s during first intensification and 25 days during second intensificati on. Mitoxantrone, cytarabine and etoposide given with GM-CSF gave a co mplete response rate and median survival similar to other combination treatments but there was no definite evidence that the duration of neu tropenia was reduced by the addition of GM-CSF from the start of treat ment.