[Favorable prognoses in 24 adult patients with acute leukemia, surviving over five years since 1985].
Since 1985 we have experienced 24 leukemia cases with long-term survival, who were treated with one of three types of postremission therapy. Of them, 20 patients were physically fit for ordinary work and returned to their work as workers or housewives during long-term follow-up period. Two housewives gave birth. We have devised three types of postremission therapy; 1) multidrug combination therapy with gradually longer intermissions (January 1980-March 1983); 2) controlled randomized clinical trial by the Japanese Foundation for the Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer, April 1983-March 1985-March 1988). In a group who underwent multidrug combination therapy without prednisolone, 12 of 20 patients who achieved complete remission have shown continued complete remission, as of November 1991, including seven 5-year survivors. These results indicate that improvement of postremission therapy makes it possible for adult patients with acute leukemia to survive 5 years or longer.
Kawamura
S
S
First Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University, School of Medicine.
Tamai
Y
Y
Konuma
Y
Y
Fukushima
K
K
Takami
H
H
Tsushima
K
K
Sakata
Y
Y
Yoshida
Y
Y
Sawada
Y
Y
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate