Improved Outcome with Pulses of Vincristine and Steroids in Continuation Therapy of Children with Average Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) and Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL): Final Report of the EORTC Randomized Phase III Trial 58951

Background: An overview of trials dating back to the ‘70s and ‘80s has shown that addition of vincristine (VCR)+prednisone/prednisolone pulses to continuation therapy of childhood ALL, i.e. 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) + methotrexate (MTX), improved disease-free survival (DFS) (Lancet, 1996). However, a recent randomized intergroup trial (IGT) has shown that, when given to intermediate risk (age<1 or >=6 yrs or WBC>20×109/L) patients (pts) treated according to the BFM protocol, VCR+dexamethasone (DEX) pulses in continuation therapy failed to improve DFS and overall survival (Lancet, 2007).