Fludarabine: a new agent with marked cytoreductive activity in untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Thirty-three patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with advanced Rai stage (III-IV) or progressive Rai stage (0-II) disease were treated with fludarabine as a single agent. Eleven patients (33%) obtained a complete remission (CR), 13 (39%) a clinical CR with residual nodules as the only evidence of disease (nodular partial remission [PR]), and two patients (6%) achieved a PR for a total response rate of 79%. Response was rapid, usually occurring after three to six courses of treatment. The major morbidity was infection. Febrile episodes occurred in 13% of the courses (pneumonia 6%, minor infection 4%, and transient fever of undocumented cause 3%). Fludarabine appears to be the most cytoreductive single agent so far studied in CLL.

[1]  E. Freireich,et al.  Long-Term Results of CAP Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. , 1990, Leukemia & lymphoma.

[2]  B. Barlogie,et al.  Fludarabine: a new agent with major activity against chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 1989, Blood.

[3]  M. Grever,et al.  Guidelines for clinical protocols for chronic lymphocytic leukemia: Recommendations of the national cancer institute‐sponsored working group , 1988, American journal of hematology.

[4]  H. Kantarjian,et al.  Multiple agent chemotherapy (POACH) in previously treated and untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 1988, Leukemia.

[5]  D. Kufe,et al.  Fludarabine phosphate (NSC 312878) infusions for the treatment of acute leukemia: phase I and neuropathological study. , 1986, Cancer research.

[6]  R. Warrell,et al.  Phase I and II study of fludarabine phosphate in leukemia: therapeutic efficacy with delayed central nervous system toxicity. , 1986, Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

[7]  E. Montserrat,et al.  Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in advanced stages. A randomized trial comparing chlorambucil plus prednisone versus cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone , 1985, Cancer.

[8]  E. Kimby,et al.  Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and well-differentiated lymphocytic lymphoma with continuous low- or intermittent high-dose prednimustine versus chlorambucil/prednisolone. , 1982, European journal of cancer & clinical oncology.

[9]  H. Thaler,et al.  Combination chemotherapy of advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia: the M-2 protocol (vincristine, BCNU, cyclophosphamide, melphalan, and prednisone). , 1982, Blood.

[10]  Mark J. Thomas,et al.  A new prognostic classification of chronic lymphocytic leukemia derived from a multivariate survival analysis , 1981, Cancer.

[11]  I. Royston,et al.  Human T cell antigens defined by monoclonal antibodies: the 65,000-dalton antigen of T cells (T65) is also found on chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells bearing surface immunoglobulin. , 1980, Journal of immunology.

[12]  C. Huguley.  Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 1977, Cancer treatment reviews.

[13]  K. Rai,et al.  Comparison of daily versus intermittent chlorambucil and prednisone therapy in the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 1977, Blood.

[14]  E. Cronkite,et al.  Clinical staging of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. , 1975, Blood.

[15]  W. Knospe,et al.  Bi‐weekly chlorambucil treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 1974 .

[16]  E. Ezdinli,et al.  Chlorambucil vs. combined chlorambucil‐corticosteroid therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 1973, Cancer.

[17]  E. Ezdinli,et al.  Corticosteroid therapy for lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukemia , 1969, Cancer.