Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia in Low-Income and Middle-Income Countries: a Brazilian Experience

The combination of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO) has revolutionised the treatment of patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia, abrogating the need for chemotherapy even in patients with high-risk disease. As a result, acute promyelocytic leukaemia has one of the highest potentials for cure among subtypes of acute myeloid leukaemia. However, only high-income countries (HICs) can reliably provide ATO, creating the false notion that countries worldwide have access to ATO, which, unfortunately, is not the current reality.