Immunotherapy with chemotherapy in the maintenance of remission in acute myeloblastic leukaemia

Thirteen patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia or one of its variants in remission have been given maintenance treatment with a combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Chemotherapy was given for one week in four, and immunotherapy was given during the intervening three weeks. The immunotherapy consisted of BCG vaccine given by Heaf gun, and snap-frozen pooled allogeneic irradiated leukaemic cells. The median duration of survival was 147 weeks, and the median duration of the first complete remission was 76 weeks. It is difficult to compare these results with other figures reported, but they add to the evidence which suggests that immunotherapy is of value in the maintenance treatment of patients with this disease. Further controlled trials are necessary.