Cytarabine + anthracycline ('7+3')
The intensive chemotherapy that has induced remission in fit AML patients since 1973: seven days of one drug, three of another. Still the backbone that targeted drugs are added to.
Cytarabine 100-200 mg/m² continuous infusion for 7 days with daunorubicin 60-90 mg/m² or idarubicin 12 mg/m² for 3 days. Induces CR in 60-80% of younger adults. Modern practice adds midostaurin or quizartinib (FLT3), gemtuzumab (CD33+ favourable/intermediate risk), or uses CPX-351 (secondary AML). High-dose cytarabine consolidation follows. Five decades of incremental optimisation rather than replacement.
1.Cytarabine is converted to ara-CTP inside blasts
- Route
- IV
- Schedule
- Cytarabine 100-200 mg/m²/day continuous infusion days 1-7; daunorubicin 60-90 mg/m² or idarubicin 12 mg/m² days 1-3
- Monitoring
- Daily counts, infection prophylaxis, cardiac function (anthracycline cumulative dose)
Source: US prescribing information (DailyMed). Doses are for orientation; the current label governs.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 1969 | Cytarabine approved for acute leukaemia; 7+3 established 1973 |
| Adverse event | Any grade | Grade 3+ |
|---|---|---|
| Profound myelosuppression Expected; 2-4 weeks aplasia | 100% | — |
| Febrile neutropenia / infection | 80% | — |
| Induction mortality ~5% in younger fit adults, higher over 60 | — | — |
| Anthracycline cardiotoxicity Cumulative-dose dependent | — | — |
Events listed without rates were not read from a primary source; see the label. Blank cells mean the figure was not sourced, not that it is zero.
Trials
topRecruiting now (live from ClinicalTrials.gov)
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Landmark trials in OnCo
Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Cytarabine + anthracycline" OR ABSTRACT:"Cytarabine + anthracycline" OR TITLE:"'7+3'" OR ABSTRACT:"'7+3'") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Cytarabine + anthracycline ('7+3'), not a curated reading list.
Pages like this
not linked directly; found by shared links- ProductQuizartinib
Shares QuANTUM-First, FLT3 inhibitor + intensive chemotherapy, QuANTUM-First: quizartinib added to intensive chemotherapy and continued as maintenance in newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML, Acute myeloid leukaemia.
- ProductMidostaurin
Shares RATIFY (CALGB 10603), FLT3 inhibitor + intensive chemotherapy, QuANTUM-First: quizartinib added to intensive chemotherapy and continued as maintenance in newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML, Acute myeloid leukaemia.
- ProductCPX-351 (liposomal daunorubicin-cytarabine)
Shares CPX-351 Study 301, Cytotoxic chemotherapy, Acute myeloid leukaemia.
- TargetFLT3
Shares QuANTUM-First, RATIFY (CALGB 10603), FLT3 inhibitor + intensive chemotherapy, QuANTUM-First: quizartinib added to intensive chemotherapy and continued as maintenance in newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML.
- ProductGilteritinib
Shares FLT3 inhibitor + intensive chemotherapy, QuANTUM-First: quizartinib added to intensive chemotherapy and continued as maintenance in newly diagnosed FLT3-ITD AML, Acute myeloid leukaemia.
- TargetCD33
Shares ALFA-0701, Acute myeloid leukaemia.
- TermFLT3-ITD allelic ratio
- ProductGemtuzumab ozogamicin
Shares ALFA-0701, Acute myeloid leukaemia.