Abstract
Classic adverse prognostic factors in childhood ALL include age <2 >9 years, elevated white blood count (WBC) and the presence of an anterior mediastinal mass (AMM). Sub-populations of ALL based upon immunologic surface markers suggest that T-cell leukemia is also an adverse factor. Using a recently described chemotherapy protocol (Med. & Ped. Oncol 2:157, 1976), we treated 69 children subclassified by newly described immunologic markers. T-cell disease, demonstrated by a human anti-thymocyte antibody, was found in 10/69, and another marker p23, 30 (a neodifferentiation antigen isolated from a human lymphoblastoid B-cell line) found in 54/69. Five of 69 were positive or negative for both markers. With a median follow-up of 21 months, disease-free survival for the p23, 30+ group was 85% by life-table analysis at 36 months, whereas the median time to relapse for the T+ group was 15 months. On the contrary, age and WBC were not statistically significantly different from the total group. Those with AMM did poorly, but all were also T+ patients. We conclude that childhood ALL represents aheterogenoua group of diseases, and that major prognostic discriminents must be re-evaluated in planning future treatment programs.
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Sallan, S., Camitta, B., Chess, L. et al. PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (ALL). Pediatr Res 11, 480 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00660
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-00660
