Enhancing effect of β-elemene emulsion on chemotherapy with harringtonine, aclacinomycin and Ara-c in treatment of refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia

Objective: this study is to determine the curative effect of β-elemene emulsion on chemotherapy in the treatment of refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (aml). methods: in the β-elemene emulsion plus haa chemotherapy (harringtonine, aclacinomycin, ara-c group) group, 120 cases received β-elemene emulsion (400 mg) plus the haa treatment. a 14-day treatment was a course of treatment, followed by an 8-14 day pause, and then the next course of treatment. the haa treatment included ara-c, 100 mg/m2, once every 12 h from day 1 to day 7; aclacinomycin, 20 mg/m2, from day 1 to day 7; and homoharringtonine, 4 mg/m2, from day 1 to day 7. the patients in the control haa group received haa treatment only. for both groups, effective antibiotics were given to patients when it was necessary. results: the total effective rate in the β-elemene emulsion plus haa group was 80.8%. but the total effective rate in the haa only group was 52.9%. these results suggest that the β-elemene emulsion plus haa treatment has a much better curative effect in comparison with the haa only treatment (p < 0.05). furthermore, β-elemene emulsion has slightly adverse response, without causing blood and bone marrow depression. conclusion: β-elemene emulsion has a curative effect in treatment of refractory/relapsed aml in combination with harringtonine, aclacinomycin, and ara-c.