Annals of hematology
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Annals of hematology · Dec 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical TrialA randomized study of intermediate as compared with high doses of interferon-alpha for chronic myeloid leukemia: no differences in cytogenetic responses.
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is a therapy of unquestionable efficacy in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients. The best dose of IFN-alpha in the treatment of CML still remains controversial. Our primary objective was to compare cytogenetic responses in patients treated with intermediate versus high doses of IFN-alpha. ⋯ Albeit not our primary objective, no differences were found in terms of survival or transformation rate between both groups. Median survival was 73 months; 64% of patients remained free of transformation at 5 years. In terms of cytogenetic response, intermediate doses of IFN-alpha are as effective as high doses in the treatment of CML.