MITOXANTRONE IN THE TREATMENT OF CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC-LEUKEMIA

During the last few years it has been shown that intensive or continuing chemotherapy of patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia prolongs survival. In the search for new effective drugs with tolerable toxicity, mitoxantrone was evaluated in this phase 2 study. Seven of 11 previously untreated patients achieved complete or partial remission after single agent treatment with mitoxantrone, and 5 of 16 previously treated patients had the same degree of response. Only minor toxicity was observed. Therefore, it appears likely that mitoxantrone is as effective as chlorambucil, and it would seem justified to evaluate mitoxantrone in future combination chemotherapy regimens in patients with advanced chronic lymphocytic leukemia.