NEW AGENTS FOR TREATMENT OF CHILDREN WITH ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

Over the past 15 years, daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside and, to a l esser extent, 6-thioguanine and etoposide have become the standard age nts used to treat patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Thes e agents have been used in various combinations and schedules with onl y small improvements in overall outcome because few other agents with promise were available. This situation has changed over the past few y ears so that today there are a number of new agents that have the pote ntial to supplement or replace the standard drugs. Idarubicin, mitoxan trone, amsacrine, homoharringtonine, 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, fludarabi ne, carboplatin, retinoids, colony stimulating factors, and interleuki n-2 are discussed.