COMPARISON OF 2 POLYCHEMOTHERAPIES IN REFRACTORY OR RELAPSED ACUTE-LEUKEMIA

Objective. To compare the efectiveness of two chemotherapy regimens fo r the treatment of relapsed and refractory acute leukemias. Methods. W e randomly assigned 24 patients in two groups: the LARR1 group receive d induction with 4 days of etoposide and 4 days of high-dose ara-C; th e LARR2 group received induction therapy with 4 days of etoposide plus 3 days of mitoxantrone. Consolidation was given using the same drugs at the same dosage. Maintenance therapy was the same for both groups a lternating methotrexate, vincristine, L-asparaginase, carmustine, cycl ophosphamide and Ara-C. Every 15 weeks both groups repeated consolidat ion according to their group. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor wa s used in both groups. Results. Median survival for both groups was 5 months (range 1-17). Ten months after starting therapy three patients were disease free in the LARR1 group and two in the LARR2 group. There were no statistically significant differences in complete remission r ate (p=0.62), refractoriness (p=0.58), deaths in induction (0.14) and other parameters. Conclusions. Our results were comparable with those of others. The only advantage we found was the possibility of using th e LARR1 treatment in patients who have reached or are about to reach c ardiotoxic-anthracycline doses.