title: Results of the therapy of acute leukemia. A cooperative trial by the Italian Association Against Leukemias.
abstract: Protocol 7401 for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia was carried out by the study group of the Italian Association Against Leukemias. The 157 patients studied were divided into two groups--over and under 20 years of age. Patients reaching complete remission were then randomized into one of the two maintenance chemotherapy regimens (A or B). Complete remission was attained in 92.3% of 117 evaluated patients. Ninety-five patients aged under 20 years entered the maintenance regimen; 60% were in complete remission after three years. Computer processing and multiple regression analysis have shown that age, lymph node involvement and the percentage of periodic acid-Schiff-positive blast cells may have prognostic value. However, with the Logrank test it was possible to compare the two maintenance regimens in each group for each prognostic factor. Patients aged between 2 and 10 years responded better to regimen A than to regimen B, as did patients with mild lymph node enlargement. Since some of the host-related factors studied emerged as significant for remission duration, three new protocols taking these prognostic factors into account were started. After one year, actuarial curves showed that 91% of 80 patients in Protocol 7601, 70% of 32 patients in Protocol 7602, and 82% of 33 patients in Protocol 7603 were in complete remission.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001215:Asparaginase; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate