Prognosis of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in Ibadan, Nigeria

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) seen in University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, still have low rates of complete remission and relatively short survival. Yet the overall prognosis was expected to have improved because the proportions of adults, males and people of low socio-economic class among the patients have decreased steadily over the past three decades. Possible causes of the persistent poor performance were sought for in 30 new ALL patients seen in the hospital over a period of 2 years and 9 months. Unfavourable prognostic factors, lack of standard cytotoxic drugs, inadequate supportive care and absence of modern facilities for therapy combined to make their disease outcome worse than expected.