title: Prognostic value of day 14 blast percentage and the absolute blast index in bone marrow of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: The product of the percentage blasts on the bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and the biopsy cellularity has been termed the "absolute blast index aspirate" (ABI-aspirate) and is used to measure disease response on day 7 of induction therapy. The authors compared the event-free survival (EFS) in high-risk and standard-risk patients as identified by the ABI-aspirate and the BMA percentage blasts on day 14 of induction therapy. Both indices identified high-risk cases. EFS of patients categorized as high-risk by these 2 methods and the high-risk criteria used by the authors' service (WCC of > 20 x 10(9)/L, age < 2 and > 8 years and a peripheral blood blast count of > 1.0 x 10(9)/L on day 8 of induction) did not differ. There was concordance between patients identified as high risk by all 3 methods. The results confirmed the prognostic value of the ABI-aspirate and the BMA percentage blasts on day 14 of induction therapy, but these methods were not superior to the high-risk criteria currently in use.
authors: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Hospital and University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa. jhv@global.co.za
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Visser
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Wessels
authors: P B
authors: PB
authors: Hesseling
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Louw
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Oberholster
authors: E P
authors: EP
authors: Mansvelt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001752:Blast Crisis / Q000473:pathology*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003630:Daunorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013019:South Africa; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D003561:Cytarabine; D014750:Vincristine; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001215:Asparaginase; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate; D003630:Daunorubicin