TREATMENT OF RELAPSING AND REFRACTORY ADULT ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA ACCORDING TO IN-VITRO CLONOGENIC LEUKEMIC-CELL DRUG-SENSITIVITY

In an attempt to improve the results of treatment in patients with rel apsing or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we conducted a pilo t study using a two-drug salvage regimen according to the in vitro clo nogenic leukemic cell (CFU-L) drug sensitivity. Fourteen patients were included in the study, 10 with relapsing and 4 with refractory AML. D rug exposure was assessed for daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, etop oside, mitoxantrone and amsacrine. The two drugs with the best inhibit ory effect on CFU-L were selected for the treatment. A complete remiss ion was achieved in only 4 patients and a partial remission in 3 patie nts. Although the number of patients is too small for appropriate stat istical analysis and for a definite conclusion to be drawn, the observ ed response rate with directed therapy did not appear better than that expected from empiric salvage regimen.