To improve long-term outcome of de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients by intermediate dose of cytarabine integrated in induction therapy and to explore the impact of cytogenetic abnormalities on the prognosis. Eighty-seven AML patients were treated with HAD regimen containing intermediate dose cytarabine (IDAra-C) as induction therapy, 83 from which with karyotype results were divided into three cytogenetic groups according to SWOG criteria. Complete remission (CR) rate, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) among different groups were evaluated. The CR rate of the 87 cases was 80/87 (92%). Median DFS and OS have not reached (NR). DFS rates at 1 and 3 years were 76.3% and 63.4%, respectively. OS rates at 1 and 3 years were 86.0% and 58.7%, respectively. According to SWOG criteria, CR rate, median DFS, and OS were 100%, NR and NR for the favorable group; 88.9%, NR, and 16 months for the intermediate group; 83.3%, 4.5 months, and 7.5 months for the adverse group. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant excepting for CR rate between adverse and intermediate groups. HAD regimen containing IDAra-C as induction chemotherapy regimen is effective in de novo AML of adult patients and can achieve higher CR rate and longer survival than standard dose of cytarabine (SDAra-C) regimen. Most of the patients were able to endure the therapy. Cytogenetics is still an important prognostic factor despite of the incorporation of IDAra-C in induction chemotherapy. The differences among the three groups were statistically significant. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.