A Multicentric Randomised Study of Alpha 2b Interferon (IFN) and Hydroxyurea (HU) with or without Cytosine-Arabinoside (Ara-c) in Previously Untreated Patients with Ph+ Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia (CML): Preliminary Cytogenetic Results

Abstract

The CML 88 study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of maintenance therapy in a multicentric randomised protocol using IFN combined with low-dose Ara-C versus IFN alone, following an induction with IFN + HU. Between April 1988 and February 1991, 237 patients from 36 French Hematology Centres were entered in the study. Preliminary cytogenetic results show a slightly higher, although not statistically significant, proportion of major chromosomal responses, including complete cytogenetic remissions, in the IFN + Ara C arm.