The Hospital Mexico in Costa Rica has been applying a new oral treatment to patients of promyelocytic leukemia with positive results.

The treatment involves oral doses of arsenic trioxide which is used in a few countries in Latin America and orally in less than ten countries worldwide. According to Dr. Willem Bujan, so far they have treated 7 patients with this treatment all of which have had a positive result and have noticed results in just two weeks. With the previous chemotherapy treatment close to 30% of the patients died.

Promyelocytic leukemia is a type of leukemia where cells from the bone marrow that produce blood cells don’t develop or function normally. This type of leukemia is common in the Latino population.

This treatment is a lot more effective and even cheaper for the Social Security Service (CCSS). Dr. Bujan and Dr. Olga Baudrit from the Pharmacy Faculty of the University of Costa Rica had explored the possibility of using this treatment orally instead of through IV since there were already scientific studies that backed this treatment; however it was not until 2016 that a team of specialists was put together to analyze the option and make it a reality.

The use of this treatment also translates into less antibiotics and blood transfusions.

The Hospital Mexico receives every year between 12 and 15 new patients with this illness.