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Improved survival of AML patients by addition of cladribine to standard induction chemotherapy

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Abstract

One hundred and eight consecutive acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients aged 60 or less treated with two different induction regimens were retrospectively analyzed. Induction regimen for the first 50 consecutive patients was DA3+7, and the following 58 patients received cladribine 5 mg/m2 on days 1 through 5 in addition to DA3+7 (DAC). There were no significant differences in the median age and the proportion of patients with unfavorable characteristics between the two groups. Remission after induction chemotherapy was achieved in 30/50 (60%) patients in DA3+7 and in 46/58 (79%) in DAC group (p = 0.028). The median survival in the DA3+7 group was 18 months, while in the DAC group it was not reached (p = 0.034). We confirmed results from other research groups by demonstrating improved remission induction rate and overall survival of AML patients aged 60 years or less treated with DAC induction compared with standard DA3+7 induction chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Uroš Mlakar, MD, PhD and Peter Černelč MD, PhD for introducing the DAC induction chemotherapy for AML into everyday clinical practice in Slovenia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hematology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Zaloška 7, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Saša Anžej Doma, Matevž Škerget, Tadej Pajič & Matjaž Sever

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Saša Anžej Doma, Matevž Škerget & Matjaž Sever

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  1. Saša Anžej Doma
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  2. Matevž Škerget
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  3. Tadej Pajič
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Correspondence to Saša Anžej Doma.

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All procedures performed in the study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments.

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Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study.

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Anžej Doma, S., Škerget, M., Pajič, T. et al. Improved survival of AML patients by addition of cladribine to standard induction chemotherapy. Ann Hematol 99, 519–525 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-020-03923-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00277-020-03923-9

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