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Clinical and Translational Oncology

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Open Access 01-07-2018 | Research Article

Comparison of clinical remission and survival between CLAG and FLAG induction chemotherapy in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: a prospective cohort study

Authors: Y. Bao, J. Zhao, Z.-Z. Li

Published in: Clinical and Translational Oncology | Issue 7/2018

Abstract

Purpose

To compare the clinical remission and survival between CLAG and FLAG induction chemotherapy in treating patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (R/R AML).

Methods

103 R/R AML patients were consecutively enrolled in this prospective cohort study. 55 patients were treated by CLAG induction chemotherapy as follows: 5 mg/m²/day cladribine (days 1–5); 2 g/m²/day cytarabine (days 1–5) and 300 μg/day filgrastim (days 0–5). While 48 patients were treated by FLAG: 30 mg/m²/day fludarabine (days 1–5), 2 g/m²/day cytarabine (days 1–5), and 300 μg/day filgrastim (days 0–5).

Results

CLAG induction chemotherapy achieved 61.7% complete remission rate (CR) and 78.7% overall remission rate (ORR), which was similar with FLAG chemotherapy which realized 48.7% CR and 69.2% ORR. No difference of overall survival (OS) was discovered between two groups either. Age cytarabine 60 years, secondary disease, poor risk stratification and BM blast ≥ 42.7% and second or higher salvage therapy were independent factors for worse prognosis. Subgroups analysis revealed that in patients with second or higher salvage therapy, CLAG seemed to achieve a higher CR than FLAG. And in patients with relapsed disease, poor risk stratification or CR at first induction, CLAG seemed to realize a prolonged OS compared to FLAG.

Conclusion

CLAG was equally effective to FLAG induction chemotherapy in total R/R AML patients, while CLAG seemed to be a better option than FLAG in patients with relapsed disease, poor risk stratification, CR at first induction or second or higher salvage therapies.

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Title: Comparison of clinical remission and survival between CLAG and FLAG induction chemotherapy in patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukemia: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Y. Bao
J. Zhao
Z.-Z. Li
Publication date: 01-07-2018
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Published in: Clinical and Translational Oncology / Issue 7/2018
Print ISSN: 1699-048X
Electronic ISSN: 1699-3055
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-017-1798-8

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