Intensive chemotherapy for acute myelogenous leukemia

A complete remission rate of 82% was obtained in a group of 68 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia treated with a high-dose induction chemotherapy (TAD) consisting of 7-day courses of 6-thioguanine, cytarabine, and daunorubicin. The patients who achieved remission received intensive consolidation chemotherapy and were randomized to receive maintenance chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy. Median remission duration was 13 months and median survival, 21 months. Neither central nervous system prophylaxis nor the addition of immunotherapy to the maintenance regimen prolonged remissions or improved survival. Age, sex, and subclassification of acute myelogenous leukemia had no effect on the remission rate or survival. These data indicate that a large proportion of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia can achieve remission with intensive induction chemotherapy. Attempts to prolong remission have been less successful.