1988 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 109-115
Twenty-four adult patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) were studied on results of treatment during the past 11 years. Chemotherapy was carried out in 22 of them, and the complete remission (CR) was attained in 54.5%. Excluding early death within 20 days, the CR rate was elevated to 80% (12/15). The median duration of first CR was 13 months, and the median survival of CR patients was 17 months. Twelve patients were alive two months after diagnosis, and all of them achived CR. According to schema for the classification of remission induction failures proposed by Preisler, two patients were grouped into Type I (absolute drug resistance), one into Type IV (death during hypoplasia), and seven into Type V (inadequate trial of therapy). None belonged either into Type II (relative drug resistance), Type III (regeneration failure) or Type VI (extramedullary persistance). Percent of leukemic cells in the bone marrow was significantly lower in CR patients than in non-responding ones. Causes of early death were hemorrhages in 58.3% of patients.
