Treatment of childhood acute myeloid leukaemia using the BFM-83 protocol

✍ Scribed by Sartori, Patricia C. E. ;Taylor, Mary H. ;Stevens, Michael C. G. ;Darbyshire, Philip J. ;Mann, Jillian R.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 587 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0098-1532
• DOI: 10.1002/mpo.2950210103

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Thirty children presenting with acute nonlymphoblastic leukaemia from June 1984 to December 1989 were treated at one UK centre using a West German protocol, AML‐BFM‐83. This consisted of induction, an intensive outpatient‐based Consolidation regimen with seven different drugs and cranial irradiation, and Continuation therapy with thioguanine and cytosine arabinoside for 2 years with additional Adriamycin in the first year. Twenty‐five children achieved complete remission (83%). There were two early deaths from haemorrhage and infection and three from Induction failure. After a median follow‐up time of 60 months, nine relapses have occurred, all in the bone marrow. Life table analysis revealed a probability for survival at 5 years of 47%, event‐free survival 43%, and event‐free interval 50%. Median bed occupancy for chemotherapy and toxicity was 41 days, with median hospital stays of 29 days for Induction, 11 days for Consolidation and less than 1 day for Continuation. This data suggests that long‐term remissions can be achieved in just under half of children with acute nonlymphoblastic leukaemia while creating only modest demands on inpatient resources. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.