title: Antimetabolite therapy for lesser-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood: a report from Children's Oncology Group Study P9201.
abstract: Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) protocol 9201 enrolled children with lesser-risk B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) defined by age (1-9), white blood cell count (WBC) less than 50 x 10(9)/L (50,000/microL), DNA findings of trisomies 4 and 10 (or DNA index > 1.16), and lack of overt central nervous system (CNS) leukemia. After vincristine, prednisone, and asparaginase induction, 650 of 653 eligible patients attained remission (3 induction deaths) and received 6 courses of intravenous methotrexate (1 g/m(2)) with daily mercaptopurine. Weekly intramuscular methotrexate was added during maintenance; pulses of vincristine and prednisone were administered with periodic intrathecal chemotherapy. Treatment duration was 2.5 years. No alkylators, epipodophylotoxins, anthracyclines, or radiation were given. The 6-year event-free survival (EFS) was 86.6% with overall survival (OS) of 97.2%. Patients with less than 5% marrow blasts on induction day 15 had superior EFS. A difference not reaching conventional statistical significance (P = .068) was noted for superior outcomes in patients with trisomies of chromosomes 4 and 10 versus those lacking double trisomies. Sex, ethnicity, CNS status, and WBC were not predictive. This indicates the great majority of children with lesser-risk B-lineage ALL are curable without agents with substantial late effects.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. achauvenet@triad.rr.com
authors: Allen R
authors: AR
authors: Chauvenet
authors: Paul L
authors: PL
authors: Martin
authors: Meenakshi
authors: M
authors: Devidas
authors: Stephen B
authors: SB
authors: Linda
authors: Beverly A
authors: BA
authors: Bell
authors: Joanne
authors: J
authors: Kurtzberg
authors: Jeanette
authors: J
authors: Pullen
authors: Mark J
authors: MJ
authors: Pettenati
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Carroll
authors: Jonathan J
authors: JJ
authors: Shuster
authors: Bruce
authors: B
authors: Camitta
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001215:Asparaginase / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D015122:Mercaptopurine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010865:Pilot Projects; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014750:Vincristine; D015122:Mercaptopurine; D001215:Asparaginase; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate