Management of acute leukaemia - abstract

ABSTRACT

This report summarizes the results of management of 50 patients with acute leukaemia treated at the University Hospital, Jamaica, including a preliminary assessment of new treatment regimes introduced in 1971. Up to this time prednisone and 6-mercaptopurine or vincristine were the drugs most commonly used for induction of remission. The median survival for adults with acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia (ANLL) was 5 months, only 25 percent achieving complete remission was induced in 60 percent of the children with acute lympathic leukaemia (ALL) and the median survival was 10 months. Since 1971, Pinkel's "total therapy" regime" has been introduced for the management of ALL, and combination cytosine, vincristine, prednisone and cyclophosphamide for the mangement of ANLL. There are already indications of a higher rate remission induction, longer duration of remission and longer survival, in the patients studied up to now (AU)