title: Intensification of treatment for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: results of U.K. Medical Research Council randomized trial UKALL XA. Medical Research Council Working Party on Leukaemia in Adults.
abstract: The MRC UKALL XA trial for patients aged 15 years and over with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia was designed to evaluate short blocks of intensive 'AML-style' treatment. Between 1985 and 1992, 618 eligible patients were entered into the trial. 450 patients were randomized to receive early intensification at 5 weeks, late intensification at 20 weeks, both, or neither. Unlike the concurrent children's trial, UKALL X, which was of similar design, UKALL XA does not demonstrate a clear benefit for intensification, although there was a significant reduction in the relapse risk due to the early block. The estimated increase in disease-free survival at 5 years was 2% with 95% confidence interval from 1% reduction to 5% increase. There may be a real difference between the effect of these treatments in adults and in children, but this result may be somewhat weakened by poorer compliance, with a greater proportion of adults not receiving the treatment arm to which they were randomized.
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Durrant
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Prentice
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Richards
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012008:Recurrence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome