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Bashir Y, Geelani S, Bashir N, et al. Role of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: An experience. South Asian J Cancer. 2015;4(1):4-6doi: 10.4103/2278-330X.149918.
Bashir, Y., Geelani, S., Bashir, N., Mir, S. A., Mushtaq, M., Jan, M. A., & Rasool, J. (2015). Role of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: An experience. South Asian journal of cancer, 4(1), 4-6. https://doi.org/10.4103/2278-330X.149918
Bashir, Yasir, et al. "Role of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: An experience." South Asian journal of cancer vol. 4,1 (2015): 4-6. doi: https://doi.org/10.4103/2278-330X.149918
Bashir Y, Geelani S, Bashir N, Mir SA, Mushtaq M, Jan MA, Rasool J. Role of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: An experience. South Asian J Cancer. 2015 Jan-Mar;4(1):4-6. doi: 10.4103/2278-330X.149918. PMID: 25839010; PMCID: PMC4382784.
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South Asian J Cancer. 2015 Jan-Mar;4(1):4-6. doi: 10.4103/2278-330X.149918.

Role of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia: An experience.

South Asian journal of cancer

Yasir Bashir, Sajjad Geelani, Nusrat Bashir, Shabeer A Mir, Mosin Mushtaq, M Aleem Jan, Javid Rasool

Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Haematology, Sher I Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
  2. Department of Lab Haematology, Sher I Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.
  3. Department of General Surgery, Sher I Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Soura, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.

PMID: 25839010 PMCID: PMC4382784 DOI: 10.4103/2278-330X.149918

Abstract

PURPOSE: To highlight the acceptable results seen after use of low dose cytarabine in elderly patients of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with comorbidities.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study carried on 30 newly diagnosed patients of AML over 60 years of age who were unfit for standard treatment regimens. We did not use azacytidine and decitabine in our patients because these therapeutic modalities being extremely costly and our patient affordability being poor. After taking patient consent and institutional ethical clearance these patients were treated with 20 mg/m(2) cytarabine subcutaneously in two divided doses 12 h apart for 4 days every week for 4 weeks which constituted a cycle before disease, re-assessment was done. A repeat cycle was administered where ever needed and after attainment of remission, we continued low dose cytarabine for 2 days/week as maintenance after complete or partial response was documented.

RESULTS: In our study, we found that around 20% of patients achieved complete remission and 30% partial remission. The remission rates were definitely influenced by counts at presentation, performance at presentation, comorbidities, underlying myelodysplastic syndrome and baseline cytogenetics.

CONCLUSION: Low dose cytarabine is effective treatment option for elderly patients with AML when standard treatment options are not warranted.

Keywords: Comorbidity; elderly acute myeloid leukemia; low dose cytarabine

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