title: Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: description and analysis of long-term survivors. A retrospective study.
abstract: This retrospective study, including 118 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) aged greater than 15 years, with a minimum follow-up of 6 years, was aimed at defining potentially "cured" adults with ALL. At present, 21 out of 92 patients who achieved complete remission (CR) are long survivors: 16 in first CR, off-therapy; 4 in 2nd CR (3 off-therapy); 1 in 3rd CR, on treatment. On the basis of available data, we tried to identify factors at diagnosis which might predict long-term survival: white blood cell (WBC) count on admission was the only significant prognostic factor for overall survival (p = 0.0002) and first CR duration (p = 0.0005). The survival hazard rate (risk of death from acute leukemia per day) reaches 0 between 8 and 9 years from diagnosis. From our data we can identify two groups of ALL long-term survivors: the first includes 16 patients in 1st continuous CR (CCR), 12 of whom in CCR for over 8 years may be considered "cured"; the second group comprises 5 patients, relapsing once or twice, alive in 2nd or 3rd CR.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Giona
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Mazzucconi
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Aloe Spiriti
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Defazio
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferrazza
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mandelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate