title: Marrow relapse on maintenance chemotherapy in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
abstract: A retrospective study on 190 children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and marrow relapse on therapy demonstrated a universally poor prognosis with a high risk of extramedullary leukaemia. 49.1% of children achieved a second remission, the median duration of haematological remission being 97 days. The median duration of survival was 157 days, with no survivors beyond 2 years 3 months from relapse. Children with high white blood counts at diagnosis, those relapsing early and older children had a particularly poor prognosis. Children who achieved a first remission with difficulty and those receiving regular vincristine and prednisolone in their remission were less likely to achieve a second remission. Those who failed to go back into remission with the more commonly used drugs were not usually responsive to other drugs.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors