Predicting response to combination chemotherapy in acute myeloblastic leukemia--- a way to individualize treatment

Cytostatics are toxic, and individual variations in drug metabolism large. Therefore the possibility to predict which cytostatic combination should be abandoned because it will not lead to a remission was studied in 58 leukemia patients. A simple following of changes in white blood cell, platelet and blast cell numbers in peripheral blood (combined into so-called chemotherapy points) makes it possible to predict which patients in the presenting phase of AML will achieve remission, but this was possible neither in the relapse phase of AML, nor in promyelocytic or monocytic leukemias. All 27 patients in the initial phase of AML, who later were to achieve remission, had less than 12 chemotherapy points, and 9 of 11 patients who did not achieve remission had over 13 points. Therefore the cytostatic combination should be changed in patients who, after two courses of treatment, have over 13 points.