Abstract :
Interferon alfa-2b combined with cytarabine seems more beneficial than interferon alfa-2b alone in the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Researchers randomly assigned 360 leukemia patients to take both drugs and 361 to take interferon alfa-2b alone. Three years after treatment began, survival rates were 86% in the combination treatment group and 79% in the interferon alfa-2b group. Forty-one percent of the patients taking both drugs had responded within 1 year, compared to 24% of those taking interferon alfa-2b alone.