Maintenance of remission in adult acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia using intermittent courses of cytosine arabinoside (NSC-63878) and 6 thioguanine (NSC-752)

Twenty adults (median age, 58 yr) with acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia who had achieved complete remission were given maintenance therapy with monthly courses of cytosine arabinoside and 6 thioguanine, each in a dose of 100 mg/m² every 12 hr for 10 doses. The toxicity was minimal with no severe infections, bleeding, or treatment related deaths. The treatment was often administered on an outpatient basis. The predicted life table median remission duration is 14 mth with 11 patients still in remission from 3+ to 29+ mth.