Myelogenous leukemia in children. ANLL9205 study by Children's Cancer and Leukemia Study Group (CCLSG)]

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 (> or = 10 x 10(9)/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.