Intensive timed chemotherapy protocol for 37 resistant or relapsing acute myeloid leukemias.

Thirty-seven patients with acute myeloid leukemia in relapse or at initial diagnosis but resistant to conventional induction regimen have been treated by single-cycle timed sequential chemotherapy, including continuous infusion of cytarabine over 72 hours on Days 1-3 and 8-10 and short injections of daunorubicin on Days 1-3. There were 21 complete remissions (56%), 11 failures, and five early deaths. For responders, median durations of complete remission and survival were 7 and 12 months, respectively.