[Combination of interferon-alpha and all-trans-retinoic acid as a treatment for maintaining remission in high-risk group patients with acute myeloid leukemia]. / Sochetanie interferona-alpha i polnost'iu trans-retinoevoi kisloty v kachestve programmy terapii podderzhaniia remissii u bol'nykh ostrymi mieloidnymi leikozami iz gruppy vysokogo riska.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To evaluate the efficiency of combination of interferon-alpha (INF) and all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) as a treatment for maintaining remission in high risk group patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three-day INF + ATRA course was administered every 3 months to 22 patients with AML from high risk group (impossibility of drug therapy during the first complete remission, resistant forms of AML, relapses, secondary AML, acute promyelocytic leukemia after attaining molecular remission). RESULTS: INF + ATRA during remission maintained a long first complete remission (median 18 months) in patients with primary AML after small-volume drug therapy, led to long first and second complete remissions (median 12 months) in patients with resistant AML, and induced and maintained molecular remissions in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.