Abstract
A multi-institute group retrospective analysis was performed on the efficacy of BH-AC for the treatment of acute leukemia in children. One hundred and thirty-nine children with various types of acute leukemia were treated with regimen including BH-AC; in 69 cases (49.6%), complete remission (CR) was successfully induced. Among them, CR was induced in 36 out of 48 (75.0%) previous untreated patients with ANLL and in 24 out of 58 (42.9%) refractory ALL. We retrospectively compared the treatment results between the regimens with cytosine arabinoside (AraC) and those with BH-AC in the initial remission induction phase of childhood ANLL. Complete remission rates were 22 out of 27 cases (81.5%) in the group of BH-AC.AMVP therapy, and 13 out of 17 cases (70.5%) in the Ara C·AMVP therapy group. Five-year CR rates were 51% in the BH-AC.AMVP therapy group, and 19% in Ara C.AMVP therapy group. Five-year survival rates were 43% and 33%, respectively. There were fewer toxicities in the patients treated with BH-AC·AMVP therapy than in those with Ara C·AMVP therapy. From this study, it is concluded that BH-AC was as effective as Ara C, and it seemed to be the more advantageous drug for the children because of its less severe toxicities.
