Treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia with intermediate-dose cytosine arabinoside and adriamycin.

Eight pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with intermediate-dose cytosine arabinoside (ID-AraC, 1 g/m2) in combination with adriamycin except one patient. Of the eight patients, four refractory to the initial induction therapy and one in bone marrow relapse gained complete remission with two to three cycles of this therapy. Four of the five patients have been in continuous remission for 4 to 24 months with the maintenance therapy of monthly administration of ID-AraC. One patient in central nervous system (CNS) relapse has continued in remission from CNS leukemia after two cycles of the therapy. Side effects of ID-AraC and adriamycin were generally mild to moderate and tolerable in all children. These results suggest that the use of ID-AraC and adriamycin might prove effective in the treatment of ALL refractory to other regimens.