Results of therapy in adult acute lymphocytic leukemia

27 adult patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia have been analyzed. Complete remission was induced in 9 of 113 patients treated with prednisone +6-MP, 4 of 6 patients treated with prednisone + vincristine, and the one patient treated with a combination of prednisone, vincristine, 6-MP, and methotrexate. The median survival for these 20 patients was 11 months and the median duration of complete remission was 71/2 months. Two of these patients remain in complete remission at 8+ years. Our most recent regimen for remission induction, prednisone + vincristine + daunomycin, has produced complete remission in 7 of 7 patients, with a median duration of complete remission of 15 months. Three patients remain in their original complete remission from 16+ to 24+ months, and 5 of these 7 patients remain alive from 16+ to 24+ months.