Multi-Course of Moderate Dose Cytosine Arabinoside and Fludarabin in the Consolidation Therapy of Patients with De Novo Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract 4251

To investigate the long-term outcome of multi-course of moderate dose cytosine arabinoside and fludarabin in the consolidation therapy of patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Sixty-seven consecutive de novo AML patients, 38 males, 29 females, including M1 (5 cases), M2a (34 cases), M4 (11 cases), M5 (13 cases), M6 (2 cases), unclassified AML (1 cases), HAL (1 case), were enrolled in this retrospective analysis between 2006 to 2011. Their median age was 32.28 years (range 13–64 years). Cytogenetic analysis showed that 27 patients with normal karyotype, 11 patients with t(8; 21), 4 patients with inv(16), 16 patients with other karyotype. Forty-two cases were classified as low and intermediate risk groups based on karyotype analysis and fusion gene detection. Thirty-eight cases and twenth-nine cases achieved complete remission (CR) after one course and two course induction chemotherapy (such as cytarabine with idarubicin or daunorubicin and mitoxantrone etc), respectively.

All patients received at least two-course consolidation therapy with moderate dose cytosine arabinoside (2g/m²) and fludarabin (30mg/m²) for 3 days (FA). Nineteen cases received two courses, 20 three courses, 20 four courses, 8 five courses and1 six courses. Quantitative RT-PCR and flow cytometry were used to detect minimal residual disease. Afterwards 3 patients underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The median time for hematological recovery of neutrophils©ƒ500/microl and platelets©ƒ20,000/microl was 12 and 16 days, respectively. The median length of hospitalization was 18 days. Non-hematological toxicity consisted of mild gastrointestinal reaction and mild hepatic dysfunction, forty percent of patients experienced fever. There was no treatment-related mortality during consolidation. After follow up of 4–54 months, 10/19 (52.6%) cases were relapse-free survival (RFS) after two courses FA consolidation, 15/20 (75%) cases in three courses, 15/20 (75%) cases in four courses, respectively. 8 cases were all in RFS after five courses consolidation. 1 case was also in RFS after six courses FA consolidation. Three-year overall survival, event free survival and RFS was 67%, 67%, and 66%, respectively. Our results suggest that multi-course FA consolidation is effective in de novo AML patients with low-risk and moderate-risk diseases. To reduce the recurrence rate the number of courses should be increased. Non-hematological toxicity was mild and the toxicity is acceptable.