EFFICACY OF ALPHA-INTERFERON AND HYDROXYUREA IN LATE-PHASE REFRACTORYMYELOPROLIFERATIVE DISEASE

Three patients are described with late-stage myeloproliferative diseas es, two with accelerated phase chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and one with refractory polycythemia vera (P vera), who achieved hematolog ic control after the addition of interferon (IFN) to hydroxyurea thera py. Both the CML patients continue to have a sustained clinical remiss ion at 12 and 38 months. The patient with P vera had failed several pr evious treatments including busulfan, P-32, hydroxyurea, and anagrelid e, but became responsive after interferon use followed by reintroducti on of hydroxyurea. Our observations support the efficacy of IFN alpha and hydroxyurea combination in late-phase myeloproliferative disease a nd warrants further clinical investigation.