Courses of cytosine arabinoside followed by L-asparaginase were administered for 4 days each to 17 children with previously treated acute lymphatic leukemia, at 14to 27-day intervals. Complete or partial remission occurred in 81% of patients after the third or fourth course of therapy. Rlaintenance therapy with the same drugs administered a t 21to 33-day intervals was given to 11 patients. T h e mean duration of maintenance to hematologic rclaitse was 14 weeks. T h e most serious side effects of treatment were neutropenia and allergic reactions. T h e administration of these two drugs produced remission in a higher proportion of cases than with either drug used alone, but was no more effective in remission maintenance.
DMINISTERED SINGLY, B O T H CYTOSINE ARABI-
A noside antl L-asparaginase can induce remission in newly diagnosed antl in previously treated patients with acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL).
We report here the results of remission induction and maintenance in previously treated patients with ALL to whom cytosine arabinoside and L-asparaginase were given conseciitively, each for 4 clays, antl courses were repeated at 2to 4-week intervals. Tlie combined use of these tlriigs in short courses resulted in a higher rate of remission induction than that obtained by using either drug alone. Complete or partial remission was achieved in 81% of patients, and it was maintained for a mean of 14 weeks.
PATIENTS A N D METHODS
Seventeen patients, 10 females antl 7 males, with previously treated ALL were admitted to I'i-om the