title: Chemotherapy for induction of remission of childhood acute myeloid leukemia followed by marrow transplantation or multiagent chemotherapy: a report from the Childrens Cancer Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In an effort to evaluate the usefulness of bone marrow transplantation, the Childrens Cancer Group (CCG) initiated a multiinstitutional study comparing bone marrow transplantation versus chemotherapy after successful induction of remission for previously untreated children and young adults with acute myeloid leukemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1979 to 1983, 508 patients were entered onto this study and 490 were treated. After induction, patients with an HLA mixed leukocyte culture (MLC)-compatible sibling underwent bone marrow transplantation. Patients not eligible for bone marrow transplantation were eligible for randomization to two chemotherapy maintenance regimens. All patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation were conditioned with cyclophosphamide and total-body irradiation (TBI). Methotrexate was used to prevent or modify graft-versus-host disease (GVHD).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred eighty-one patients achieved bone marrow remission (78%). Eighty-nine patients had an HLA/MLC-compatible sibling donor and were eligible for bone marrow transplantation, and 252 had no match. Comparison of survival estimates for patients eligible for transplantation versus not eligible at 3 years (52% v 41%), 5 years (50% v 36%), and 8 years (47% v 34%) showed a significant difference in favor of bone marrow transplantation (P < .05). Disease-free survival (DFS) demonstrated similar results. Application of a cure model to the results showed a better outcome for those eligible for transplantation (P = .04). Patients randomized between the two chemotherapy regimens did not show any significant difference between those treated with a continuous maintenance versus a cyclic regimen (P = .16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children and young adults who successfully achieved a remission with multiple-agent chemotherapy who had an HLA/MLC-compatible donor and were thus eligible for an allogeneic bone marrow transplant had better survival than those not eligible for transplantation.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Nesbit
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Feig
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lampkin
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piomelli
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kersey
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Coccia
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D012074:Remission Induction; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome