Oral Arsenic-Containing Qinghuang Powder (青黄散): A Potential Drug for Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Qinghuang Powder (青黄散, QHP), an oral arsenic, has become an effective drug in the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) in Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences for many years, and the action mechanism of the compound or active ingredient As2S2 of QHP has been elucidated. Considering the relatively safety, chemotherapy-free and convenient oral profile, QHP is widely used in the clinical treatment for MDS patients, especially for elderly patients. In this review, the authors document the efficacy and safety of oral arsenic-containing compound QHP in the treatment of MDS, with a special focus on the association of efficacy of QHP with the cytogenetics, prognostic risk, DNA methylation, gene mutation, blood arsenic concentration, mechanism of action of As2S2 and the countermeasures against adverse reactions of gastrointestinal tract.