Oral arsenic formula could save lives in critical first days of leukemia

This study tests whether adding an oral arsenic-based medicine (RIF) to standard treatment right away can reduce early deaths in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), a fast-moving blood cancer. The trial will enroll 224 adults newly suspected of having APL and randomly assign them to receive either the standard pill alone or the standard pill plus RIF immediately, even before final test results confirm the diagnosis. The main goal is to see if this early combination helps control dangerous bleeding problems and saves more lives in the first 30 days.