Jorge Cortes

Use of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) in the treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia: The M. D. Anderson experience

Approximately 20–30% of patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who are treated with all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and an anthracycline develop recurrent disease. It has been reported that arsenic trioxide (As2O3) is effective in this setting. The authors report the experience of The M. D. Anderson Cancer Center with As2O3 in the treatment of patients with recurrent APL.

Results of intensive chemotherapy in 998 patients age 65 years or older with acute myeloid leukemia or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome: predictive prognostic models for outcome.

Elderly patients (age ≥ 65 years) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) generally have a poor prognosis. AML‐type therapy results are often derived from studies in younger patients and may not apply to elderly AML. Many investigators and oncologists advocate, at times, only supportive care or frontline single agents, Phase I–II studies, low‐intensity regimens, or ‘targeted’ therapies. However, baseline expectations for outcomes of elderly AML with ‘standard’ AML‐type therapy are not well defined. The aim was to develop prognostic models for complete response (CR), induction (8‐week) mortality, and survival rates in elderly AML, which would be used to advise oncologists and patients of expectations with standard AML type therapy, and to establish baseline therapy results against which novel strategies would be evaluated.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia in nonlymphoid blastic phase: Analysis of the results of first salvage therapy with three different treatment approaches for 162 patients

The prognoses of patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia in blastic phase (CML‐BP) are extremely poor. Treatment of patients with nonlymphoid CML‐BP is associated with very low response rates, a median survival of 2–3 months, and significant toxicities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of therapy in CML‐BP with different treatments in relation to response rate, survival, and toxicity.

Hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone and highly active antiretroviral therapy for patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome-related burkitt lymphoma/leukemia

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)‐associated lymphoma/leukemia have a poor prognosis and are frequently treated with low‐intensity therapy. The authors investigated the feasibility and efficacy of hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin, and dexamethasone (hyper‐CVAD), a dose‐intensive chemotherapy regimen, in patients with AIDS‐associated Burkitt lymphoma/leukemia, as well as the possible impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in these patients.

Imatinib mesylate causes hypopigmentation in the skin

Imatinib mesylate is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets the BCR‐ABL protein in CML, c‐kit (KIT) and platelet‐derived growth factor receptors. In clinical trials with imatinib mesylate, common side effects of nausea, emesis, diarrhea, periorbital edema, fluid retention, and myelosuppression have been documented.

Results of imatinib mesylate therapy in patients with refractory or recurrent acute myeloid leukemia, high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, and myeloproliferative disorders.

Imatinib mesylate is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor of c‐abl, bcr/abl, c‐kit, and platelet‐derived growth factor‐receptor (PDGF‐R). c‐kit is expressed in most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and PDGF has been implicated in the pathogenesis of myeloproliferative disorders (MPD).

Long-term follow-up results of the combination of topotecan and cytarabine and other intensive chemotherapy regimens in myelodysplastic syndrome

Progressive or higher‐risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is often treated with intensive chemotherapy regimens used for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Patients with MDS are often older and may have contraindications to anthracycline‐based regimens. Topotecan‐cytarabine regimens have shown encouraging results in higher‐risk MDS. The aim of this study was to analyze the long‐term results with topotecan‐cytarabine versus other intensive chemotherapy regimens in higher‐risk MDS.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia: A review and update of therapeutic strategies

DOI 10.1002/cncr.11520

Fractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine, liposomal daunorubicin, and dexamethasone plus rituximab and granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) alternating with methotrexate and cytarabine plus rituximab and GM-CSF in patients with Richter syndrome or fludarabine-refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Therapy for patients with Richter syndrome (RS) or fludarabine‐refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is unsatisfactory. A Phase II study was conducted to evaluate an alternating combination cytotoxic regimen given with rituximab and granulocyte‐macrophage–colony stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) in these patients.

Effects of age on prognosis with imatinib mesylate therapy for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Older age is a consistent poor prognostic factor in patients with Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)‐positive chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Whether this is related to an intrinsic worse disease biology or to inadequate drug delivery or excessive treatment‐associated toxicity is unknown. The availability of imatinib mesylate, a selective, Bcr‐Abl‐targeted therapy that is administered orally with minimal side effects, may clarify whether older age would remain an adverse factor (thus, implying a different age‐related CML biology).