Granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor support in patients with acute non-lymphatic leukemia

Forty-one patients with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia were treated between March 1990 and November 1993 with mitoxantrone, cytarabine, etoposide and granulocyte-macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) started on day 1. This was given as induction, consolidation and intensification treatment. A complete response was obtained in 26 of 41 (63%) patients. The median survival of the 25 evaluable patients in complete remission was 18 months. The median duration to neutropenia < 500/microliter was 20 days during induction, 15 days during consolidation, 21 days during first intensification and 25 days during second intensification. Mitoxantrone, cytarabine and etoposide given with GM-CSF gave a complete response rate and median survival similar to other combination treatments but there was no definite evidence that the duration of neutropenia was reduced by the addition of GM-CSF from the start of treatment.