Arabinosyl cytosine (ara‐C) was administered by continuous intravenous infusion to children with acute leukemia refractory to conventional chemotherapy. The dosage was 150 mg to 200 mg/M2 of body surface area per 24 hours for 5 days, repeated every 2 weeks. Forty‐six children were admitted to this study. Thirty‐four had acute lymphocytic leukemia, and 12 had acute myelocytic leukemia. Of the 34 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia, one achieved complete hematologic remission, 3 achieved good partial remission, 9 had inadequate trials of the agent, and 21 failed to show any response to this agent. Of the 12 children with acute myelocytic leukemia, 2 had complete remission, one achieved good partial remission, 5 had inadequate trials of the agent, and 4 failed to show any response. Myelosuppression was the limiting toxicity. Prolonged infusion of ara‐C probably offers no advantage over rapid intravenous injections for the induction of remissions in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.