Myelogenous Leukemia in Children

ANLL9205 Study by Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group (CCLSG)

Abstract

Treatment results were evaluated in 45 children with acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML) treated on the ANLL-9205 protocol of the Children's Cancer Leukemia Study Group (CCLSG, Japan). In this protocol, terarubicin (THP-ADR), vincristine and continuous infusion of cytosine arabinoside (Ara C) were applied for remission induction therapy (AVC), and VP16+high dose Ara C were used sequentially for 32 or 48 weeks. Eleven patients received stem cell transplantation.
Thirty-eight out of the 43 eligible patients (88.4%) achieved complete remission, and the overall 3-year event-free survival (EFS) was 55.6% (S.E., 10%). This favorable response was attributed mainly to the high induction rate of patients with the M5, M7 FAB subtypes and higher WBC counts (≥10×10⁹/L). There was no difference in the 3-year EFS of these patients who discontinued treatment between 32 weeks and 48 weeks. Serious toxicities were not observed in this study.
These findings suggest that the ANLL-9205 protocol is an effective and safe treatment regimen for childhood AML. When comparing the treatment period of 32 or 48 weeks, the difference was not statistically significant.