Treatment of acute myeloid leukemia of childhood with cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, prednisolone, and mercaptopurine or thioguanine

Eighteen children with acute myeloid leukemia have been treated with a four-drug protocol using cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, prednisolone, and mercaptopurine or thioguanine. The initial remission rate overall was 78%. Of 15 children who completed a week's treatment, i.e. one complete cycle, 14 entered complete remission (93%). The median survival was 7 months, and the median survival for those entering remission was 12 1/2 months.