Arsenic Trioxide, High-Dose Cytarabine and Idarubicin Induction Therapy in Previously Untreated de Novo and Secondary Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients < 60 Years Old - A Phase I Study

OBJECTIVES:

• Determine the maximum tolerated dose and/or biologically effective dose of arsenic trioxide followed by high-dose cytarabine and idarubicin in patients with previously untreated de novo or secondary acute myeloid leukemia.

OUTLINE: This is a dose-escalation study of arsenic trioxide. Patients are stratified according to timing of accrual (before November 2002 vs since November 2002).

Patients receive arsenic trioxide IV over 1 hour on day 1 followed by high-dose cytarabine IV over 1 hour every 12 hours on days 1-6 and idarubicin IV over 30 minutes on days 2-4 (immediately after doses 3, 5 and 7 of cytarabine). Patients also receive filgrastim (G-CSF) subcutaneously beginning 12 hours after the last dose of chemotherapy and continuing until blood counts recover.

Cohorts of 3-6 patients receive escalating doses of arsenic trioxide until the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), current dose used for myelodysplastic syndromes or acute promyelocytic leukemia, or biologically effective dose is reached. The MTD is defined as the dose preceding that at which 2 of 6 patients experience dose-limiting toxicity. The biologically effective dose is defined as the dose at which 3 patients with constitutive STAT3 activity have the activity negated after the first dose of arsenic trioxide.