Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in adults: results of a 'total-therapy' programme in 47 patients over 15 years old.

For the last 13 years, 47 patients with ALL over 15 years old (range 15-72; median 21) entered a 'total-therapy' programme. All cases received a 6-8 week induction course of PRD, VCR, DRB and/or L-ASN. Prophylaxis of CNS was done by cranial radiotherapy plus i.t. MTX in 32/45 patients who attained complete remission (CR). After CR, subsequent therapy involved a programme of maintenance with 6MP and MTX at full doses. Pulses of intermittent reinforcement (PRD, VCR and DRB) were done for 2 weeks, every 3 months, for at least 3 years. CR was achieved in 42/47 patients (89.3%). The median relapse-free survival of the patients who attained CR was 57 months, with an 8-year estimated disease-free survival rate of 43% for those cases. If actuarial assumptions were to be sustained, it would indicate an encouraging cure rate of 38% of all our adult ALL patients (mainly in those cases between 15 and 30 years old).

Biological significance of nonlymphocytic oligoblastic leukemia. Cytokinetic behavior of dividing granulocytic precursors in 11 patients.

Kinetic studies of marrow dividing granulocytic precursors (mitotic index and flash labeling index with 3H-TDR) were carried out in 11 patients with oligoblastic leukemia (OBL). The results were compared with similar data from cases of conventional acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). The cytokinetic results were as follows: MI (%) in OBL, mean = 0.75; MI (%) in ANLL, mean = 0.66; p greater than 0.7; LI (%) in OBL, mean = 15.0; LI (%) in ANLL, mean = 15.4, p greater than 0.7. The lack of cytokinetic differences between these two groups of patients stands in favor of the hypothesis that OBL might represent a special type of smoldering leukemia with a 'plateau' of blast cell accumulation established at a subleukemic level.