Therapeutic Methods In Patients With Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia After Complete Remission

Objective:To explore an effective remedy for patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) after complete remission. Methods:Twenty-six patients with APL induced to complete remission by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) were treated with conventional methods combinative chemotherapy"3+7"as consoldation therapy,and some patients were treated with intermediate-dose cytarabine according to the age of the patients. maintenance chemotherapy method:to administer arsenic trioxide(As2O3),ATRA and 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) +methotrexate (MTX) alternately to the patients. The efficacy and side effects of these chemotherapy were observed. Results:One patien relapsed in consoldation therapy,one patien relapsed in maintenance chemotherapy,Twenty-four patients was constant complete remission,The difference between the two groupes with intermediate-dose cytarabine and without intermediate-dose cytarabine was insignificant(P>0.05);The overall survival was 96.15 % when were treated with As2O3,ATRA and 6-MP+MTX as maintenance chemotherapy method. Conclusion:For patients with APL after CR, no significant differences in overall survival no matter the patients were treated with intermediate-dose cytarabine or not.sequential therapy combinding ATRA,6-MP+MTX and arsenic trioxide can obtain a higher CCR rate without intolerable side effects, All APL patients had a high degree of compliance with these treatment. The side effects of sequential therapy were mild.because of the convenience of therapy,which made patiens easy to hospital and reduced the time in hospital and cut down the expense,it demonstrated the possibility in clinic.