title: More is better! Update of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Children's Hospital childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia trials.
abstract: Between 1973 and 1985, 553 children with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia were treated on Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Children's Hospital, Boston, protocols. The programs featured intensive remission induction therapy, CNS treatment with cranial irradiation and intrathecal drugs, doxorubicin intensification with or without asparaginase, and 2-21/2 years of conventional continuation therapy. There has been progressive improvement in event-free survival for each successive program. Leukemia control concerns pertain to: 1. late relapses (at greater than 5 years) in "standard-risk" patients; 2. an increased incidence of CNS relapses, especially in "standard-risk" patients, as preventative treatment is reduced in intensity; and 3. bone marrow relapses in "high-risk"patients. Comparisons of patients receiving the more intensive arm of each protocol with those receiving the less intensive arm support the hypothesis that more intensive chemotherapy results in improved event-free survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sallan
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Gelber
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kimball
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015993:Life Tables; D008297:Male; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012306:Risk; D013120:Spinal Cord Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology