Treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia with a triple cytotoxic regime: DAT

Twenty patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) were treated with a combination of chemotherapy which included daunorubicin, cytosine arabino-side and 6-thioguanine (DAT). The complete remission rate was 85% and was achieved, in responsive cases, after an average of 2 courses of therapy. Patients remained in hospital for an average of 37.5 days during remission-induction therapy and 3.7 days per month thereafter. The median remission period was 48 weeks and median survival was 70 weeks. A disappointing feature was the high relapse rate. This feature of the results re-affirms the need for a more effective form of remission therapy.