Further thoughts on 'cell kill' in acute leukemia

With traditional therapy of acute myelogenous leukemia, not more than 20% of patients achieve long-term survival. Efforts at intensifying postinduction chemotherapy have resulted in minor improvements only, but this limited progress has been hampered by increasing toxic-death rates. Eradication of the leukemia burden may be achieved by the introduction of more effective induction regimes and these may be rendered more effective by the application of 'enhancers'. With a lower tumor burden, and with more appropriate timing for supralethal therapy, it may be possible to achieve cure with greater frequency. Measurement of 'minimal residual disease' permits more logical selection of postinduction therapy.