AbstractTen previously untreated elderly patients with hypocellular acute leukemia received a low dose of cytosine arabinoside (Ara‐C), 10 mg/m2injected subcutaneously every 12 hours for 14‐28 days. Six patients achieved a complete remission (CR) for periods ranging for 6‐23 months (median 8.5 months) and the others had a partial remission (PR). Relapse has occurred in three patients to date. The median survival ranged from 10‐24 months (median 14.5 months). Only two of the six patients, in whom bone marrow biopsy was performed at CR, had a normal cellularity. This change, however, did not appear to be a significant prognostic factor in those patients. In seven patients who achieved a CR or PR low‐dose Ara‐C was administrated as maintenance therapy at the same low dose for 10 days each month. Treatment was well tolerated in all patients despite for myelosuppression. There were no drug‐related deaths. These observations suggest that low‐dose Ara‐C is effective in treating elderly patients with hypocellul