Used Right, IV Arsenic Is Safe & Effective

Intravenous arsenic trioxide was shown to be a safe and effective treatment for relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), achieving a complete remission rate of 87% in a study involving 52 patients. The treatment consisted of induction and consolidation phases, with manageable side effects such as APL differentiation syndrome and hyperleukocytosis. The study reported a two-year overall survival rate of 56% and a relapse-free survival rate of 49%. Additionally, arsenic trioxide demonstrated potential in treating other hematologic malignancies, with promising responses in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The combination of arsenic trioxide with ascorbic acid was suggested to enhance its efficacy by overcoming drug resistance mechanisms in multiple myeloma cells.