title: Circadian time-dependent response of childhood lymphoblastic leukemia to chemotherapy: a long-term follow-up study of survival.
abstract: The evolution of 118 children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia between 1976 and 1984, and followed until 1991, was reviewed. Maintenance chemotherapy consisted of daily 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), weekly methotrexate (MTX), and monthly vincristine and prednisone. Eighty-two children took 6-MP and MTX in the morning, and 36 took them in the evening. Disease-free survival, as determined by Kaplan-Meier analysis, was better for children on evening chemotherapy. Regression analysis (Cox proportional hazards model, with evening versus morning schedule as exposure variable, and age at diagnosis, leucocytosis at diagnosis, and sex as covariates) showed that for those surviving free of disease for longer than 78 weeks, the risk of relapse was 2.56 times greater for the morning schedule than for the evening one.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Hopital Sainte-Justine, Universite de Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Rivard
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Infante-Rivard
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dresse
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Champagne
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012008:Recurrence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate