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

Abstract

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.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Cancer Inst., Bethesda, MD
OSTI Identifier:
5643884
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 5:2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; ANEMIAS; RADIOINDUCTION; BLOOD COUNT; BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS; BLOOD PLATELETS; CHEMOTHERAPY; SIDE EFFECTS; ENDOXAN; RADIOSENSITIVITY EFFECTS; TOXICITY; HAPTOGLOBINS; HEMOGLOBIN; HEMOLYSIS; IMMUNE REACTIONS; NAUSEA; PREDNISONE; RADIOTHERAPY; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; FRACTIONATED IRRADIATION; IONIZING RADIATIONS; ISOLATED VALUES; LEUKEMIA; PATIENTS; WHOLE-BODY IRRADIATION; ADRENAL HORMONES; ALKYLATING AGENTS; ANTIMITOTIC DRUGS; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS; BLOOD; BLOOD CELLS; BODY FLUIDS; CARBOHYDRATES; CARBOXYLIC ACIDS; CORTICOSTEROIDS; DATA; DATA FORMS; DISEASES; DRUGS; EXTERNAL IRRADIATION; GLOBIN; GLOBULINS; GLOBULINS-ALPHA; GLUCOCORTICOIDS; HEMIC DISEASES; HETEROCYCLIC ACIDS; HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS; HORMONES; HYDROXY COMPOUNDS; INFORMATION; IRRADIATION; KETONES; LYSIS; MATERIALS; MEDICINE; MUCOPROTEINS; NEOPLASMS; NUCLEAR MEDICINE; NUMERICAL DATA; ORGANIC ACIDS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC NITROGEN COMPOUNDS; PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES; PIGMENTS; POLYSACCHARIDES; PORPHYRINS; PREGNANES; PROTEINS; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIATIONS; RADIOLOGY; SACCHARIDES; STEROID HORMONES; STEROIDS; SYMPTOMS; THERAPY; 560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man; 550603 - Medicine- External Radiation in Therapy- (1980-); 550900 - Pathology

Citation Formats

Johnson, R E. Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia by total body irradiation alone and combined with chemotherapy. [Efficacy and complications]. United States: N. p., 1979. Web. doi:10.1016/0360-3016(79)90714-4.
Johnson, R E. Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia by total body irradiation alone and combined with chemotherapy. [Efficacy and complications]. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(79)90714-4
Johnson, R E. 1979. "Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia by total body irradiation alone and combined with chemotherapy. [Efficacy and complications]". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/0360-3016(79)90714-4.
@article{osti_5643884,
title = {Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia by total body irradiation alone and combined with chemotherapy. [Efficacy and complications]},
author = {Johnson, R E},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {10.1016/0360-3016(79)90714-4},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5643884}, journal = {Int. J. Radiat. Oncol., Biol. Phys.; (United States)},
number = ,
volume = 5:2,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1979},
month = {Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1979}
}