New agents for treatment of children with acute myelogenous leukemia.

Over the past 15 years, daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside and, to a lesser extent, 6-thioguanine and etoposide have become the standard agents used to treat patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). These agents have been used in various combinations and schedules with only small improvements in overall outcome because few other agents with promise were available. This situation has changed over the past few years so that today there are a number of new agents that have the potential to supplement or replace the standard drugs. Idarubicin, mitoxantrone, amsacrine, homoharringtonine, 2-chlorodeoxyadenosine, fludarabine, carboplatin, retinoids, colony stimulating factors, and interleukin-2 are discussed.