Study on induction failure in acute leukemia

Objective:To elucidate the main factors influencing the induction remission of adult acute leukemia (AL). Method:The age, sex, FAB type, clinical manifestation, bone marrow and peripheral blood cell counts, karyotype, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level and regimen of chemotherapy were analyzed in 195 cases of AL patients. Result:The patients were divided into two groups according to the remission status after two cycles of induction chemotherapy, referred as the remission group and the refractory group. Comparing with the remission group, the ratio of acute non-lymphocytic leukemia, the incidence of infiltration, peripheral white blood cell counts (WBC) and serum LDH greatly increased in the refractory group. Moreover, the chromosome abnormalities except t(8;21) was more frequent in the refractory group than that in the remission group. Inclusion of idarubicin showed great benefit as far as the remission rate was concerned.Conclusion:The FAB type, infiltration symptom, leukemic cell burden and its biological characteristics, as well as the chemotherapy regimens are important factors for induction failure.