Now, a small study shows that it provides benefits, although "modest", according to the authors, to patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), although its role as a possible treatment for the disease is uncertain.
The study included 20 AML patients who were not candidates for intensive chemotherapy or bone marrow transplant, and who had not responded well to conventional chemotherapy.
The results, published in "Blood", show that 7 patients abandoned treatment in the first month due to disease progression, adverse effects of the drug or personal reasons. Of the remaining 13 patients, 4 experienced a partial response to thalidomide and a fifth showed some improvement regarding the levels of certain blood cells.
