Extracorporeal Irradiation of Blood (ECIB) in Man : II. Treatment of Acute Myelocytic Leukemia

Fourteen adults with acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) received 16 courses of extracorporeal irradiation of the blood (ECIB). The median survival time of 8.0 months, taking into consideration many of the variable factors, was as good as, if not better than, studies previously reported despite the absence of hematologic remissions. This group of patients is small, however, and no definitive evaluation of ECIB treatment for AML can be made. Although no significant bone marrow changes were noted, there was a marked decrease in the peripheral leukemic cells of 75 per cent of the patients. There appears to be a correlation of increased survival time with a transit dose of ECIB over 340 rads. At the present time, the usefulness of this mode of treatment in the overall management of AML is uncertain, although it might be considered as an alternative form of therapy for patients in whom chemotherapy is contra-indicated and to prevent leukostasis. When used, the possibility of complications related to the shunt should always be borne in mind.