Prognostic Implications of Cytarabine Dose in Consolidation Chemotherapy for the Patients with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia / 대한암학회지

PURPOSE: Increasing the dose of cytarabine in consolidation chemotherapy has been suggested to improve treatment outcome of the patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in complete remission (CR). We studied an effect of cytarabine dose in consolidation chemotherapy on the survival times. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1989 to 1998, AML patients in CR who received two or more courses of consolidation chemotherapy were included. At the first course of consolidation chemo therapy, all patients received standard dose of cytarabine (100 or 200 mg/m2/day by a continuous infusion for 5 days) plus anthracyclines. At the second or third course, one of three dose levels of cytarabine was given with anthracyclines. Three dose levels of cytarabine were standard dose (SD), intermediate dose (ID, 1 or 2 g/m2/day by a 3-hour infusion for 5 days), and high dose (HD, 3 g/m2 in a 3-hour infusion every 12 hours for total six doses). We retrospectively reviewed clinical records of study patients. RESULTS: 64 patients were included. The median follow-up duration of alive patients was 1,143 days. Estimated 3-year overall survival times were 24% in SD group, 41% in ID group and 56% in HD group (P=0.737). Estimated 3-year disease free survival times were 18%, 16% and 44% in each group (P=0.592). There was no significant difference in toxicity of consolidation chemotherapy between three groups. CONCLUSION: Although the survival times showed a trend to be longer in the patients who received higher dose of cytarabine as consolidation chemotherapy, there were no statistically significant differences.

Successful treatment with ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus duodenitis following allogenic bone marrow transplantation

Cytomegalovirus(CMV) disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. CMV enteritis should be considered when nausea and vomiting continue 3 to 4 weeks after bone marrow transplantation(BMT). The treatment of CMV enteritis is not well established. We report a CMV duodenitis patient following allogenic bone marrow transplantation. The patient had prolonged nausea and vomiting for 5 weeks after bone marrow transplantation and CMV duodenitis was diagnosed by the gastroduodenoscopic mucosal biopsy which showed cytomegalic cells. Ganciclovir treatment for 3 weeks resulted in the resolution of symptoms and promoted healing of the lesion. The patient was free of CMV infection until 288 days after allogenic BMT without maintenance ganciclovir treatment.