Use of New Chemotherapeutic Agents in Acute and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract

Our experience in the Imuran treatment of acute leukemia is rather scarce. Indeed because of the difficulty to get this drug, we could use it in 6 cases only. These 6 cases belonged to the following forms: 3 to the stem cells type, 1 to the myelomonocytic type, 1 to the histiomonocytic ungranulated type, 1 to the promyelocytic type (acute terminal crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia). All these patients had been already treated with other antiblastics.Positive results we had just in 2 cases, precisely in a case of stem cells leukemia and in the last case above mentioned. Similar results in acute relapsing phase of chronic myeloid leukemia obtained Eridani et al. (1965). Where we applied strong doses (mg 30c of Imuran daily for 10 days), following the advice of Storti and Traldi (1965), and thus obtained a full three months remission (Fig. 1).According to this modest experience of ours Azathioprine is a drug that does not present clear advantages on 6-Mercaptopurin.