Long-term second remissions in acute lymphatic leukemia.
Long-term second remissions were seen in 5/66 patients with all. Relapse was extramedullary in 2/5. Persistent, progressive marrow lymphocytosis preceded relapse in 4/5 patients and persistent marrow eosinophilia in 1/5. All 5 patients had had an unmaintained remission of at least 6 months prior to relapse, and responded the second time to drugs which were essentially the same as those used initially. We conclude that long-term second remissions may occur in all. Patients who relapse after 6 months or more of unmaintained remission should be treated with the drugs used in current initial induction regimens in hope of cure.
D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D014750:Vincristine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate