A Randomised Phase III Study to Compare Arsenic Trioxide (ATO) Combined to ATRA Versus Standard ATRA and Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy (AIDA Regimen) for Newly Diagnosed, Non High-Risk Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia

• Arm I:

• Induction therapy: Patients receive oral tretinoin twice daily and arsenic trioxide IV over 2 hours on days 1-60. Patients achieving hematological complete remission go on to receive consolidation therapy.

• Consolidation therapy: Patients receive oral tretinoin twice daily on days 1-14. Treatment with tretinoin repeats every 4 weeks for up to 7 courses. Patients also receive arsenic trioxide IV over 2 hours on days 1-5 in weeks 1-4. Treatment with arsenic trioxide repeats every 8 weeks for up to 4 courses.

• Arm II:

• Induction therapy: Patients receive tretinoin as in arm I induction therapy and idarubicin IV over 20 minutes on days 2, 4, 6, and 8. Patients achieving hematological complete remission go on to receive consolidation therapy.

• Consolidation therapy: Patients receive oral tretinoin twice daily on days 1-45, idarubicin IV over 20 minutes on days 1-4 and day 31, and mitoxantrone hydrochloride IV over 30 minutes on days 16-20.

Marrow samples are collected after completion of consolidation therapy and analyzed by reverse transcriptase-PCR for molecular remission. Patients achieving molecular remission (PML-RARa negative) go on to receive maintenance therapy.

• Maintenance therapy: Patients receive oral mercaptopurine once daily and methotrexate intramuscularly once weekly for 3 months. Treatment with mercaptopurine and methotrexate repeats every 3 months for 7 courses. After completion of course 1 of mercaptopurine and methotrexate, patients receive oral tretinoin once daily on days 1-15*. Treatment with tretinoin repeats every 3 months for 6 courses.