Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of arsenic trioxide dosing in obese patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is the backbone of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) treatment and is dosed based on weight with no upper limit, therefore obese patients receive large doses and may be vulnerable to adverse effects and dose holdings. Twenty-seven patients receiving ATO during induction were categorized as obese ( = 16) or non-obese ( = 11) based on body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m in this retrospective study. Doses were held or modified due to composite adverse effects in 9 (56%) obese patients and 7 (64%) non-obese patients ( = 1.