Acute myeloblastic leukemia secondary to myelodysplasia (MDS-AML): a comparison of remission induction with three drugs versus standard two-drugs induction

To evaluate the addition of a third drug to standard induction chemotherapy in patients with MDS-AML, 23 patients (males/ females 13/10, median age 54 .3 years, range 24 - 74 years, median MDS duration 9.8 months, range 2 - 39 months) who received a standard 2-drugs induction were compared with 23 pa tients (males/females 11/12, median age 45.6 months, range 21 - 60 years, m edian MDS duration 8.3 months, range 2 - 29 months) who received an intensi fied 3-drugs induction with etoposide. CR rate, median CR duration and medi an OS were similar in both groups (48% vs 56%, 4.8 vs 5.9 months, 6.5 vs 7. 0 months respectively). Among responding patients, all but one, who underwe nt allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, relapsed. In conclusion, additio n of a third drug (etoposide) does nor seem to significantly improve the po or prognosis of MDS-AML patients.