Abstract
Sixteen children with acute leukemia and four children with malignant lymphoma have been treated by L-asparaginase. All the cases had been treated before with one or more of the conventional chemotherapeutic agents. The dosage of L-asparaginase ranged from 100 to 250 u/kg daily for 5 to 15 days. In 12 among 20 cases steroid hormones were administered simultaneously combined with L-asparaginase.
Of the acute leukemia patients, the overall remission rate was 25%. After the induction of remission, L-asparaginase was discontinued. For the maintenance therapy, one or more agents among 6-MP, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide and prednisolone were administered. The median duration of remission was two and a half months with a range of one to four months.
In four cases of malignant lymphoma, no clinical improvements were observed.
The following signs of toxicity have been observed: fever (two cases), nausea and vomiting (four cases), skin rash (two cases), abnormal liver function tests (GOT, five cases and GPT, six cases).
