Aclacinomycin A (ACM) is different from other anthracycline antibiotics in the antitumor activity and clinical effect. As compared with daunomycin and adriamycin, ACM is less cardiotoxic and drug induced alopecia is very mild.
A comparison studies of clinical effects and side effects of combination chemotherapies, BH-AC·AMP (behenoyl-ara-C, aclacinomycin A, 6-mercaputopurine, prednisolone) and BH-AC·DMP (behenoyl-ara-C, daunomycin, 6-mercaputopurine, prednisolone) on cases with adult acute leukemia were done. Twelve patients were treated with BH-AC·AMP (AMP) therapy and thirteen patients were treated with BH-AC·DMP (DMP) therapy. The AMP therapy is effective in patients not responding to the DMP therapy. However, in about half of 12 cases receiving AMP therapy we noticed severe bleeding in the urinary tract, genital organ and alimentary tract. These side effects were more frequent and severe in the AMP therapy than the DMP therapy. Care should therefore be taken with regard to mucosal injury when ACM is used.
