Abstract
Discussion and Conclusions
Thiouracil was administered to 6 patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia, and to one patient with an acute myeloblastic leukemia. The dosage averaged 1.5g a day and was well tolerated by every patient. One patient (case 4) received a total of 359.3 g of the drug over a 10-month period. The drug had no effect on the total circulating white count, nor on the differential white cell picture, red cell elements, hemoglobin or platelet values or the bone marrow pattern.
Recently, and after completion of this study, one observer reported that he had tried thiouracil in doses of 3 mg daily in a patient with myelogenous leukemia without appreciable results. 4
Thiouracil did not influence the metabolic rate of leukemic patients materially when given in a dose of 1.5 g daily. This was true whether it was administered over a period of 2 weeks, 2 months or 10 months. The serum cholesterol rose in only 2 patients (cases 2 and 4), and this rise was only transitory. In one patient (case 3) the serum cholesterol continued to fall, the basal rate steadily rose despite the administration of thiouracil. In one patient reported (case 4), and in 2 others, this drug failed to prolong or modify the remission induced by irradiation. Thiouracil given in the dosage reported in this series had no demonstrable effect on the myeloid dysfunction, basal metabolic rate, the serum cholesterol level or the bone marrow pattern of patients with myelogenous leukemia.
Thiouracil, furthermore, did not modify the clinical course of the disease. It seems certain therefore, that this drug has no value as an adjunct in the treatment of myelogenous leukemia.
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