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Original Article
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Volume 330:820-825 March 24, 1994 Number 12
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Interferon Alfa-2a as Compared with Conventional Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
The Italian Cooperative Study Group on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

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ABSTRACT

Background In view of studies showing that interferon alfa was effective treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia and that it prolonged survival, we organized a prospective, controlled comparative study of this treatment.

Methods We compared recombinant interferon alfa-2a with conventional chemotherapy (hydroxyurea or busulfan) in a trial designed to have a power of 80 percent to detect a difference of 20 percent in median survival between the group given interferon and the group given conventional chemotherapy. Between 1986 and 1988, 322 patients with previously untreated or minimally treated Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia were randomly assigned to treatment with either interferon alfa-2a (218 patients) or conventional chemotherapy (104 patients).

Results The rate of karyotypic response (defined as >33 percent of metaphases negative for the Philadelphia chromosome) was 30 percent in the interferon group and 5 percent in the conventional-chemotherapy group (P<0.001). The time to progression from the chronic phase of leukemia to an accelerated or a blastic phase was longer in the interferon group than in the conventional-chemotherapy group (median, >72 vs. 45 months; P<0.001), as was survival (median, 72 vs. 52 months; 6-year survival, 50 percent vs. 29 percent; P = 0.002 for both comparisons). There was one treatment-related death in each group. Treatment was discontinued because of side effects (mainly influenza-like, gastrointestinal, or neurologic symptoms) in 35 patients given interferon alfa-2a (16 percent). The cost of interferon treatment was 200 times that of the conventional treatment.

Conclusions During long-term treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, interferon alfa-2a induced more karyotypic responses than conventional chemotherapy, delayed disease progression longer, and prolonged overall survival more.


Source Information

The Writing Committee of the Italian Cooperative Study on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia consisted of Sante Tura (Institute of Hematology "L. and A. Seragnoli," University of Bologna), Michele Baccarani (Chair of Hematology, University of Udine), Eliana Zuffa (Institute of Hematology "L. and A. Seragnoli," University of Bologna), Domenico Russo (Chair of Hematology, University of Udine), Renato Fanin (Chair of Hematology, University of Udine), Alfonso Zaccaria (Institute of Hematology "L. and A. Seragnoli," University of Bologna), and Mauro Fiacchini (Institute of Hematology "L. and A. Seragnoli," University of Bologna). Other members of the study group are listed in the Appendix.

Address reprint requests to Professor Michele Baccarani at the Division of Hematology, Udine University Hospital, 33100 Udine, Italy.

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Related Letters:

Interferon Alfa-2a for Chronic Myeloid Leukemia
Mehta J., Atkins C. D., Kennedy B.J., Tura S., Baccarani M.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 331:401-402, Aug 11, 1994. Correspondence

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