title: [Present status of chemotherapy in ALL and CLL].
abstract: Present status of chemotherapy for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was reviewed. In ALL, a 2-drug combination consisting of vincristine and prednisone (VP) obtained an overall complete remission rate of approximately 50% and when daunomycin or adriamycin was added to the regimen, the overall remission rate escalated to approximately 70%. Furthermore, L-asparaginase appeared to have a similar activity to the anthracyclines in combination with VP. Thus, VP plus one of these agents seemed to be a recommendable inductive chemotherapy against ALL. In CLL, remission rates obtained by the use of chlorambucil alone were ranged from 45 to 69%, while a 2-drug combination consisting of chlorambucil and prednisone obtained remission rates ranging 38 to 80%. Thus, the combination appeared to have superiority over chlorambucil alone. When this first line chemotherapy fails to obtain remissions, a 3-drug combination consisting of cyclophosphamide, vincristine and prednisone is worthwhile to try as a second line treatment.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002699:Chlorambucil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002699:Chlorambucil; D014750:Vincristine; D004317:Doxorubicin; D011241:Prednisone; D003630:Daunorubicin