Thymic irradiation: an approach to chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1974 · Am. J. Med., v. 57, pp. 862-869

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0002-9343(74)90162-4· OSTI ID:4168088

Richards, F II; Spurr, C L; Pajak, T F; Blake, D D; Raben, M

Twenty-two patients with active chronic lymphocytic leukemia were treated with thymic irradiation; a remission was achieved in 14 and a partial response in 7. In a similar group of 28 patients treated with chlorambucil, there were 7 full remissions, 5 partial responses, 6 with white cell control and 10 with no response. Thymic irradiation restored the leukocyte count to normal in 76 percent of the cases (16 of 21) and the differential in 32 percent (7 of 22), with complete resolution of lymphadenopathy in 81 percent (17 of 21), hepatomegaly in 75 percent (12 of 16), splenomegaly in 76 percent (11 of 14) and symptoms in 100 percent (20 of 20). Chlorambucil restored the leukocyte count to normal in 50 percent (14 of 28) and the differential in 7 percent (2 of 28), with complete resolution of lymphadenopathy in 43 percent (9 of 21), hepatomegaly in 43 percent (9 of 21), splenomegaly in 24 percent (4 of 22) and symptoms in 64 percent (16 of 25). Thymic irradiation produced a more rapid response even in patients resistant to chemotherapy and was more effective (11 of 12 or 92 percent) than chlorambucil (7 of 22 or 33 percent) in patients with hematocrit readings of less than 30 percent and/or greater than 75 percent infiltration of the bone marrow and a leukocyte count of more than 40,000 cells/mm$sup 3$ and in patients with splenomegaly. Anemia was corrected in all three patients and thrombocytopenia in two of six patients treated with thymic irradiation. Chlorambucil corrected anemia in 2 of 11 patients and thrombocytopenia in 2 of 5 patients. Anemia developed in 5 of 17 patients and thrombocytopenia in 4 of 23 patients treated with chlorambucil and in no patients treated with thymic irradiation. (auth)

• Research Organization: Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-33-005751
• OSTI ID: 4168088
• Journal Information: Am. J. Med., v. 57, pp. 862-869, Journal Name: Am. J. Med., v. 57, pp. 862-869; ISSN AJMEA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*LEUKEMIA-- RADIOTHERAPY
*THYMUS-- IRRADIATION
560151* --Biomedical Sciences
Applied Studies--Radiation Effects--Radiation Effects on Animals--Man
CHEMOTHERAPY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
N48510* --Life Sciences--Radiation Effects on Animals--Man
PATIENTS