title: ["Preventive" cranial irradiation in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood].
abstract: In accordance with the recommendations of Pinkel, 147 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia were treated by a combined cytostatic and radiation therapy during a joint study between May 1971 and Jan. 1, 1974. After a primary cytostatical treatment which brought about a remission of 94% of the patients within four to six weeks, the cranial irradiation was performed, depending on age, with a focal dose of 1500 up to 2400 rd in the course of three or four weeks. Simultaneously, the patients were given methotrexate intrathecally which was followed, later on, by a long-term therapy with cytostatics. By means of this combined treatment, a three-year survival was obtained in 50% (8 of 16) and a complete remission in 44% (7 of 16). The prognosis is the same for boys as for girls. A less favorable prognosis concerns the patients with an initial leukocytosisf more than 50 000 leukocytes/mm3 of blood, an age of more than ten years, and leukemic cells already demonstrable in the cerebrospinal fluid.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000505:Alopecia / Q000209:etiology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011292:Premedication; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012886:Skull; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate
vernacular_title: "Prophylaktische" Hirnschädelbestrahlung bei der akuten Lymphoblastenleukämie im Kindesalter