[Treatment of monocytic blast leukosis with vinblastine]

Monocytic blast leukosis progresses very aggressively, with severe complications--hemorrhages, infections, tumors, severe anemia and rapidly comes to a lethal end. The therapeutic remedies are limited for that type of blast leukosis. The present communication covers 20 patients with monocytic blast leukosis, treated with vinblastin. In five of them--a complete remission was observed and in two--not complete. The first remissions lasted at an average of 3-5 months with a total duration of living up to seven months. The results are satisfactory for that hard to cure clinicohematological form of blast leukosis.