RESULTS OF TREATMENT WITH AN INTENSIVE INDUCTION REGIMEN USING IDARUBICIN IN COMBINATION WITH CYTARABINE AND ETOPOSIDE IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE MYELOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA

We report results achieved in our institution with a study opened in J uly 1990 (similar to the German AML-BFM-87 in which daunorubicin was r eplaced by idarubicin in the induction phase and cranial preventive ra diotherapy was omitted) and closed in December 1994, for the treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), without prior m alignancies except for myelodysplasia. This evaluation included 68 pat ients, whose mean age was 6 years (range: 1 month-16 years). Thirty-ni ne were boys and 29 were girls. Complete remission rate was 80.9% (55/ 68), death on induction rate was 14.7% and induction failure rate was 4.4%, At median follow up of 38 months (range: 12-66 months), the 4-ye ar event-free survival (EFS) estimate was 0.428 (S.E.: 0.062), event-f ree interval (EFI) estimate was 0.529 (S.E.: 0.07) and overall surviva l (OS) estimate was 0.44 (S.E.: 0.071). We conclude that idarubicin in combination with cytarabine and etoposide is a highly effective regim en for induction in children with AML, Although preventive cranial irr adiation was not delivered, we have observed only one combined CNS rel apse. Finally, we corroborate that in th is setting two definite risk groups may be identified in children with AM L. Copyright (C) 1996 Els evier Science Ltd