Oral idarubicin plus cytosine arabinoside in the treatment of acute non lymphoblastic leukemia in elderly patients.

Eighteen acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia patients greater than 60 yr., 12 at diagnosis and 6 in first relapse, were treated with the association of oral Idarubicin and subcutaneous Aracytin. One patient was not evaluable. Eight out of 17 patients achieved complete remission (47%), 4 patients died in induction and 5 proved resistant to treatments. Mucocutaneous and gastrointestinal toxicity was mild. The most frequent extra-hematological complications were infections. We observed an important hepatic toxicity in 1 case.