Summary. Newly diagnosed chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) patients (n 65) were treated with interferon (IFN)-a2b (5´10 6 IU/d s.c.) combined with monthly courses of cytarabine (20 mg/d s.c. for 14 d). Median age of patients enrolled was 45 years. The endpoints of the study were clinical ef®cacy and toxicity. The survival rates at 3 years and 5 years were 77% and 56%, respectively. The rate of complete haematological response was 60%. Evaluation of cytogenetic response was available in 29/65 patients. A complete cytogenetic response was seen in 3/29 patients (10%). W.H.O. toxicity grade 3±4 occurred in only 22/523 evaluable treatment cycles. Since the study protocol required intermittent or de®nitive discontinuation of cytarabine in case of moderate leucopenia (white blood cells (WBC) <5´10 9 /l), combined cytopenia (WBC < 5´10 9 /l, platelets <100´10 9 /l), and isolated moderate thrombocytopenia (<100´10 9 /l), the drug had to be discontinued temporarily or de®nitively in 200 cycles and the dose of cytarabine had to be reduced in 35 cycles. Thus, only 25% of the planned dose of cytarabine could be administered. At this dosage it would appear that cytarabine had no effect on survival and did not improve remission rates.We conclude that a clinical bene®t for the addition of cytarabine to the treatment of CML with IFN might only be achieved by the administration of a higher cumulative dose of cytarabine, suggesting that lower leucocyte counts of 2±4´10 9 /l have to be tolerated.

Empirical support is offered for the claim that the original Knobe effect, whereby our intentional action ascriptions exhibit certain asymmetries in light of our moral attitudes, can be successfully cancelled. This is predicted by the view that the Knobe effect can be explained in purely pragmatic terms (Adams and Steadman 2004a; 2004b; 2007). However, previous cancelling studies (Adams and Steadman 2007; Nichols and Ulatowski 2007) have failed to identify evidence of cancellability. The key to the successful cancelling strategy presented here is to provide subjects with the opportunity to assent to statements that involve sufficiently strong forms of moral censure.