[Effectiveness of remission induction with high-dose cytarabine for relapsed or refractory pediatric acute leukemia]

Rinsho Ketsueki. 2010 Feb;51(2):104-13.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

We conducted a multicenter postmarketing study to investigate the efficacy and safety of reinduction therapy with a high-dose cytarabine-containing regimen for pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia. Seven of 13 patients (53.8%) with ALL achieved complete or partial remission, and only 1 of 6 patients (16.7%) with AML achieved partial remission. The frequent non-hematologic adverse events were gastrointestinal toxicities, such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, as well as pyrexia and headache. Infection appeared in 9 of 20 (45%) patients. There were two death during reinduction therapy. One died of invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, and the other died of intracranial hemorrhage and renal failure. These results indicated that a high-dose cytarabine regimen is effective as reinduction therapy in pediatric patients with relapsed ALL, and supportive care is essential to prevent or control treatment-related adverse events, such as infection.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • English Abstract
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / administration & dosage*
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / adverse effects
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Cytarabine / administration & dosage*
  • Cytarabine / adverse effects
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis / etiology
  • Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis / prevention & control
  • Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / drug therapy*
  • Pulse Therapy, Drug
  • Recurrence
  • Remission Induction
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Cytarabine