Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia by total body irradiation alone and combined with chemotherapy. [Efficacy and complications]

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1979 · Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(79)90714-4· OSTI ID:5643884

Johnson, R E

Total body irradiation (TBI) offers a new dimension in the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), a disease heretofore refractory to effective management. Excellent responses were observed in 50/57 (88%) consecutive patients with active CLL treated since 1964, and complete remissions were achieved in 22/57 (39%). Toxicity was acceptable and was minimized by combining TBI and chemotherapy in attenuated doses of each modality. The responders had a modified natural history of disease as evidenced by prolonged survival, improved quality of life, and even restoration of immunologic competence in some cases. Benefit was particularly evident for patients with a poor prognosis, i.e., those with anemia and/or thrombocytopenia prior to treatment. A median survival of 55 months for the 40 Stage III-IV patients is 2-3 times longer than described for comparable patients in other series. This experience indicates TBI may be the most effective single agent available for the treatment of CLL and warrants consideration in primary therapy.

• Research Organization: National Cancer Inst., Bethesda, MD
• OSTI ID: 5643884
• Journal Information: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 5:2; ISSN IOBPD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ADRENAL HORMONES
ALKYLATING AGENTS
ANEMIAS
ANTIMITOTIC DRUGS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BLOOD
BLOOD CELLS
BLOOD COUNT
BLOOD PLATELETS
BODY FLUIDS
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMOTHERAPY
CORTICOSTEROIDS
DATA
DATA FORMS
DISEASES
DRUGS
ENDOXAN
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXTERNAL IRRADIATION
FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION
GLOBIN
GLOBULINS
GLOBULINS-ALPHA
GLUCOCORTICOIDS
HAPTOGLOBINS
HEMIC DISEASES
HEMOGLOBIN
HEMOLYSIS
HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS
HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
HORMONES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
IMMUNE REACTIONS
INFORMATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
ISOLATED VALUES
KETONES
LEUKEMIA
LYSIS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
MUCOPROTEINS
NAUSEA
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR MEDICINE
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES
PATIENTS
PIGMENTS
POLYSACCHARIDES
PORPHYRINS
PREDNISONE
PREGNANES
PROTEINS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
RADIOINDUCTION
RADIOLOGY
RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS
RADIOTHERAPY
SACCHARIDES
SIDE EFFECTS
STEROID HORMONES
STEROIDS
SYMPTOMS
THERAPY
TOXICITY
WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION