BACKGROUND: We have analyzed the outcome and prognostic factors for 61 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who were treated with idarubicin(IDA)/N 4-behenoyl-1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine(BH-AC) regimen at Chonnam National University Hospital between April 1994 and December 1998.
METHODS: Fifty-six patients with newly diagnosed AML and 5 patients failed by IDA/ara-C were eligible to analysis. Remission induction chemotherapy consisted of IDA (12 mg/㎡/day IV over 30 minutes on days 1∼3) and BH-AC (age≤40 years : 300 mg/㎡/day IV over 4 hours on days 1∼7 ; age>40 years : 200 mg/㎡/day). After achievement of a complete remission (CR), four polychemotherapy cycles, allogeneic BMT or autologous PBSCT were given as consolidation.
RESULTS: Median age was 38 years (range, 17 to 65). Of 61 patients, 43 (70.5%) achieved CR and 6 (9.8%) died of early complications. The Kaplan-Meier estimated overall survival rate was 51.8±7.7%, 43.1±8.5% and 29.6±8.8% at 1 year, 2 year and 3 year respectively, and the disease free survival rate was 58.4±9.7%, 43.3±10.4% and 24.0±12.2% at 1 year, 2 year and 3 year, respectively. Unfavorable prognostic variables for achieving CR were age >55 years (p=0.006), FAB subtypes (p=0.005) and poor risk
cytogenetic abnormalities (p=0.021), and FAB subtypes for overall survival (p=0.0064).
CONCLUSION: IDA/BH-AC combination chemotherapy is an effective and well-tolerated regimen for induction treatment of AML.

Keywords: Acute myelogenous leukemia, Combination chemotherapy, Idarubicin, BH-AC, Prognostic factor,