Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0023418 (leukemia)
 93,477 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The principal toxicity of standard induction regimens for acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) [including cytarabine (ARA-C) 100 mg/m2 for 7 days plus an anthracycline] is myelotoxicity, leading to death in at least 25% of cases during induction in non-selected patients. The complete remission rate is less than 35% in patients over 65 years of age, due in part to an age-related increase of myelotoxicity. The other important adverse effect of standard-dose cytarabine is gastrointestinal toxicity, especially oral mucositis, diarrhoea, intestinal ulceration, ileus and subsequent Gram-negative septicaemia. Idiosyncratic reactions like exanthema, fever and elevation of hepatic enzymes are relatively frequent, but do not represent therapeutic problems. Intermittent high-dose cytarabine (3 g/m2 in 8 to 12 doses) is extremely myelosuppressive. Similarly, the gastrointestinal toxicity is formidable and dose-limiting. Severe, and sometimes irreversible, cerebellar/cerebral toxicity in 5 to 15% of courses of treatment limits the peak dose of cytarabine. The pathogenesis, prophylactic and therapeutic measures are unknown. These major toxicities are age-related and prohibitive to the use of high-dose cytarabine therapy in patients older than 55 to 60 years. Subacute noncardiogenic pulmonary oedema occurs in some patients, with an incidence of about 20%, and seems to have an intriguing coincidence with precedent streptococcal septicaemia; high-dose systemic steroids may be beneficial. Corneal toxicity is very frequent in high-dose cytarabine therapy but is always reversible. It is largely preventable with prophylactic steroid or 2-deoxycytidine eyedrops. Fever, exanthema and hepatic toxicity have an incidence similar to that in standard dosage. The maximum tolerable cumulated dose of cytarabine is significantly lower when the agent is administered as a continuous infusion, due to myelosuppression and gastrointestinal toxicity. Conversely, continuous infusion may be less neurotoxic. The antileukaemic effect of continuous infusion high-dose cytarabine is less well established. The only significant toxicity of low-dose cytarabine is myelosuppression. Given the generally poor condition of leukaemia patients, low-dose cytarabine therapy is well tolerated, although occasional cases of diarrhoea, reversible cerebellar symptoms, peritoneal and pericardial reactions, and ocular toxicity have been reported. Continuous infusion may be more toxic than the usual intermittent dosage. It is concluded that the toxicity of the standard induction regimen for ANLL is acceptable in patients younger than 60 to 65 years with no concurrent disease. Low dose cytarabine is tolerable for virtually all ANLL patients, but the overall therapeutic efficacy still needs to be defined and compared to standard therapy in the relevant age groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:The toxicity of cytarabine. 217 34

A boy, aged 14 1/2 years, presented with Burkitt leukemia. His renal status was normal before treatment. Chemotherapy (SFOP LMB 86 protocol) was begun Oct. 9, 1986. After the first 2 courses of chemotherapy, the patient had Gram negative sepsis treated with cefotaxime, netilmycine, Vancomycin and ornidazole. During sepsis, nephrotic syndrome developed (albumin 25 g/l, non selective proteinuria 15 g/24 h), with moderately high blood pressure, functional renal failure (creatinine 141 mumols/l, U/P urea = 20), polyuria and tubular damage. Kidney ultrasonography was normal. Needle biopsy showed minimal glomerular lesions, acute tubular lesions, and no deposits in immunofluorescence. The nephrotic syndrome disappeared within 3 weeks, with treatment of leukemia. He is at present in complete remission with a follow-up of 25 months.
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PMID:[Nephrotic syndrome and B leukemia]. 262 44

A relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia occurred in a 45-year-old woman 18 months after the disease was initially diagnosed and treated. During remission reinduction therapy, she developed a Gram-negative septicaemia, acute respiratory failure, acute renal failure, diabetic hyperglycaemia with ketoacidosis, and probable bacterial meningitis. She required assisted respiration for two days, received peritoneal dialysis for five days, and was unconscious for seven days. The patient eventually recovered, achieved full remission of her leukaemia, and survived a further 2 1/2 years, mostly in excellent health. Oncologists are often criticized for unjustifiable optimism and excessive zeal in the treatment of patients with malignant disease. This case illustrates that such optimism and zeal may be justified, and that intensive efforts to save the lives of seriously ill patients with chemosensitive malignant diseases are worthwhile.
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PMID:How zealously should a patient with relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia be treated? Good survival after five simultaneous, potentially lethal, complications. 658 66

Febrile neutropenia is common in children with leukemia. Mucous membrane and skin are most common portals of entry for microorganisms in these patients. The aim of the present study was to find the prevalence of mucocutaneous findings infebrile neutropenic leukemic children. The authors prospectively examined children with fever with neutropenia in acute leukemia, aged 1-15 years, who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, between September 2000 and August 2001. During the study period, 46 children had 116 admissions, 51 of which were due to febrile neutropenia. Their cancer diagnoses were ALL (76%) and ANLL (24%). The prevalence of mucocutaneous findings was 86% (61% were from infections, 22% from mucositis and 4% from chemical phlebitis). Other detected sites of infection were lower respiratory tract (36%), urinary tract (32%), upper respiratory tract (11%), septicemia (11%) and unidentified (35%). Thirty-four percent of the patients had more than one site of infection. Gram-negative septicemia was the most common infection (15cases/71%) followed by gram positive (4cases/19%) and candida (2cases/10%). The prevalence of infection was found in severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count, ANC less than 500 cell/cu mm), moderate neutropenia (ANC, 500-1000 cell/cu mm) and mild neutropenia (ANC, 1001-1500 cell/cu mm) was 72%, 9% and 5%, respectively. Infection in patients in the severe neutropenia group was significantly more common than in moderate mild neutropenia groups (p < 0.01). Seven patients (15%) died, all of them had severe and prolonged neutropenia, for more than 7 days. Daily physical examination of skin and mucous membrane are suggested for proper and prompt diagnosis and treatment of febrile neutropenic children with acute leukemia to reduce mortality and morbidity in these patients. A Guideline for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with acute leukemia is proposed In conclusion, infection was commonly found in severe neutropenia. Mucocutaneous infection was the most common site of infection infebrile neutropenia in children with leukemia.
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PMID:Mucocutaneous findings in febrile neutropenic children with acute leukemias. 1608 22