Objective: To establish the clinical safe and effective methods of arsenic-containing compound-Qinghuang Powder (compound-QHP) in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
Methods: 200 patients with MDS were treated with compound-QHP (daily dose of 0.1 g realgar). The blood arsenic concentrations (BACs) were detected by atomic fluorescence spectrophotometry (HF-AFS). After treatment for 1 month, the patients were randomly divided into group A and group B when the BACs were less than 20 μg/L. Daily dose of realgar was maintained in group A and it was increased to that when the BACs were more than 20 μg/L in group B. The BAC and clinical efficacy and safety in two groups were compared at the end of the treatment with compound-QHP.
Results: The average BAC of group B was significantly higher than that of group A (P < 0.01). The rates of hematology improvement and reduced transfusion were significantly higher in group B than in group A (P < 0.05). The HGB, ANC, and PLT significantly increased in group B after treatment (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: Monitoring the BAC and adjusting the daily dose of realgar to increase the effective BAC and then improving efficacy without increasing the clinical toxicity are the clinical safe and effective methods in the treatment of MDS.