Injection
100 mg/ml
Dosage Forms
Uses
Dose and Duration
Can be given by IV infusion or injection, or SC injection
Remission induction
- Continuous
- Rapid injection: starting dose 2 mg/kg/day. Administer for 10 days. Obtain daily blood counts. If no antileukaemic effect or toxicity noted, increase to 4 mg/kg/day and maintain until therapeutic response or toxicity is evident.
- 0.5‒1.0 mg/kg/day may be given in an infusion of up to 24 hours duration. After 10 days this initial daily dose may be increased to 2 mg/kg/day subject to toxicity. Continue to toxicity or until remission occurs.
- Intermittent treatment:
- 3‒5 mg/kg/day are administered IV on each of 5 consecutive days. After a 2‒90 day rest period, a further course is given. Continue until response or toxicity occurs.
Improvement usually occurs between 7‒64 days after the beginning
of therapy (mean 28 days).
Patients seem to tolerate higher doses when given by rapid IV
injection as compared with slow infusion due to the rapid
metabolism of cytarabine.
Maintenance therapy
Remissions induced by cytarabine, or by other drugs, may be
maintained by IV or SC injection of 1 mg/kg once or twice
weekly.