Small doses of ARA-C in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia: differentiation of myeloid leukaemia cells?

Abstract

Three patients with acute myeloid leukemia were treated with small doses of ARA-C [cytosine arabinoside] (10 mg/m2 every 12 h, s.c. injections); complete remission was obtained. The small doses of ARA-C, the progressive evolution, the absence of aplasia before remission and the simultaneous presence of normal islets of promyelocytes and leukemic myeloblasts, favor a differentiating role for the drug rather than an antimitotic effect.