1995 Volume 9 Issue 1 Pages 26-30
We compared bone marrow suppression and the incidence of infection between patients who received pyrarubicin (THP) concomitantly with vincristine, prednisolone and L-asparaginase and patients who received adriamycin (ADM) concomitantly with vincristine, prednisolone and L-asparaginase for the induction of remission in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. In the ADM group, the duration of neutropenia lower than 500/μ1 and lower than 200/μ1 was 13.7±9.9 days and 8.4±7.3 days, respectively. The duration of such neutropenia in the THP group, 23.9±5.1 days and 20.0±8.9 days, respectively, was significantly longer than that in the ADM group. In the ADM group, infection occurred in one of 12 patients, whereas, in the THP group, infection occurred in seven of 9 patients, and one patient died. The protocols had to be modified or interrupted in these seven patients. The incidence of infection in the two groups was significantly different. THP caused greater bone marrow suppression than ADM. Thus, we recommend strict prophylaxis for infections in patients who are to receive THP.
