Predinsome therapy of acute childhood leukemia: Prognosis and duration of response in 330 treated patients

Abstract

Induction of remission with prednisone in 330 children with acute leukemia resulted in improvement to complete remission in 40 per cent and in good partial remission in another 34 per cent of patients. Complete bone marrow remission occurred in 63 per cent. Remission was maintained without treatment for a median duration of 58 days. Infants under 1 year of age, patients with initially high white blood cell counts, and those with a morphologic diagnosis of acute granulocytic leukemia responded less favorably than the other children. Induction of remission with prednisone in 330 children with acute leukemia resulted in improvement to complete remission in 40 per cent and in good partial remission in another 34 per cent of patients. Complete bone marrow remission occurred in 63 per cent. Remission was maintained without treatment for a median duration of 58 days. Infants under 1 year of age, patients with initially high white blood cell counts, and those with a morphologic diagnosis of acute granulocytic leukemia responded less favorably than the other children.