title: Long-term results of the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP) Studies 82, 87, 88, 91 and 95 for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: We analyzed the long-term outcome of 4865 patients treated in Studies 82, 87, 88, 91 and 95 for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of the Italian Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology (AIEOP). Treatment was characterized by progressive intensification of systemic therapy and reduction of cranial radiotherapy. A progressive improvement of results with reduction of isolated central nervous system relapse rate was obtained. Ten-year event-free survival increased from 53% in Study 82 to 72% in Study 95, whereas survival improved from 64 to 82%. Since 1991, all patients were treated according to Berlin-Frankfurt-Muenster (BFM) ALL treatment strategy. In Study 91, reduced treatment intensity (25%) yielded inferior results, but intensification of maintenance with high-dose (HD)-L-asparaginase (randomized) allowed to compensate for this disadvantage; in high-risk patients (HR, 15%), substitution of intensive polychemotherapy blocks for conventional BFM backbone failed to improve results. A marked improvement of results was obtained in HR patients when conventional BFM therapy was intensified with three polychemotherapy blocks and double delayed intensification (Study 95). The introduction of minimal residual disease monitoring and evaluation of common randomized questions by AIEOP and BFM groups in the protocol AIEOP-BFM-ALL 2000 are expected to further ameliorate treatment of children with ALL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Milano-Bicocca, Ospedale S. Gerardo, Monza, Italy. v.conter@hsgerardo.org
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Conter
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aricò
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barisone
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Messina
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parasole
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: De Rossi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pession
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Santoro
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micalizzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Citterio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rizzari
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rondelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lo Nigro
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ziino
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Testi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masera
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Valsecchi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016371:Cranial Irradiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006405:Hematology / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000532:radiotherapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome