High-dose methylprednisolone sodium succinate as a single agent in relapsed childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

✍ Scribed by Ryalls, Michael R. ;Pinkerton, C. Ross ;Meller, Simon T. ;Talbot, Denis ;McElwain, Timothy J.

• Book ID: 102521621
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 474 KB
• Volume: 20
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0098-1532
• DOI: 10.1002/mpo.2950200206

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Twenty children received methylprednisolone (1 g/m^2^), daily for 5 to 8 days, as initial single agent therapy for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Bone marrow blasts were reduced to <5% in 2 and 5–10% in 3 of 12 patients with bone marrow relapses. In 3/9 with central nervous system relapses the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) blasts completely cleared and were reduced in 4 others. In two patients with testicular relapses there was shrinkage of tumour and one patient with a navicular bone relapse became pain free. Toxicity was minimal. These results indicate high‐dose methylprednisolone is an effective agent, particularly in the treatment of established central nervous system (CNS) disease and could contribute to early CNS directed therapy in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.