Response of therapy-associated acute nonlymphocytic leukemia to intensive induction chemotherapy
Among 31 consecutive patients who developed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia following treatment with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, 17 were treated with intensive chemotherapy aimed at inducing a complete remission. Seven of these 17 patients (41%) obtained a complete remission that ranged in duration from 2 to 11 (median 3) months. Two additional patients who failed to develop normal peripheral blood counts despite postinduction bone marrows that were normocellular and free of leukemia were classified as nonresponders. The median time to complete remission and median duration of leukopenia (WBC less than 1000/mu 1) were 34 days and 23 days, respectively. Induction chemotherapy was complicated by fever in all patients, documented infection in six patients, and death secondary to sepsis in three. Survival of the 17 patients ranged from less than 1 to 39 (median 4) months. Patients achieving a complete remission had a median survival time of 10 months compared to 2 months for the nonresponders. The other 14 patients received only supportive care and had a median survival of 2 months. These findings indicate that therapy-associated acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (t-ANLL) can frequently respond to chemotherapy and that achieving a complete remission is associated with longer survival. Although these results are encouraging, patients with t-ANLL still have a relatively poor prognosis and efforts directed at improving treatment outcome need to be continued.
- Research Organization:
- Masonic Cancer Center, Minneapolis, MN
- OSTI ID:
- 5176898
- Journal Information:
- Med. Pediatr. Oncol.; (United States), Journal Name: Med. Pediatr. Oncol.; (United States) Vol. 4; ISSN MPOND
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Preventive central nervous system irradiation in children with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. [Complications of. gamma. radiation]
Correlation of clinical findings with quinacrine-banded chromosomes in 90 adults with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia
Related Subjects
560151* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Man
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADRENAL HORMONES
ANTI-INFECTIVE AGENTS
ANTIBIOTICS
ANTINEOPLASTIC DRUGS
CHEMOTHERAPY
CORTICOSTEROIDS
DISEASES
DOXORUBICIN
DRUGS
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
HEMIC DISEASES
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
KETONES
LEUKEMIA
MEDICINE
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PATIENTS
PREDNISONE
PREGNANES
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOTHERAPY
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
SURVIVAL TIME
THERAPY