Pharmacokinetics of a Standard Dose of Cytarabine in a Patient with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

Dose setting for drugs to treat acute leukemia in patients undergoing dialysis therapy is a critical problem that is complicated by incomplete knowledge of the underlying pharmacokinetics of antileukemic agents in this setting, especially in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) [1]. Because impaired renal function, permeability of the peritoneal membrane, the protein-binding ratio of the drug, and the CAPD schedule, along with other factors, are likely to influence plasma drug concentrations, the pharmacokinetics of individual antileukemic drugs must be evaluated. We report pharmacokinetic observations for a standard dose of cytarabine, the key drug for treating myeloid leukemia, in a patient with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who was undergoing CAPD.