Acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia in children: prognostic factors and results of chemotherapy

Twenty-nine children (age range 1-14, median 8 years) with acute non-lymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) were induced in remission with daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside. Twenty-three (79.3%) patients achieved complete remission (CR) and were administered two cycles of the same drugs as consolidation therapy; no maintenance treatment was given. Three (10.3%) patients died during induction; 3 (10.3%) patients were resistant to therapy. Multivariate analysis showed that female sex, TLC less than 50 X 10(9)/L, absence of in ection, albumin greater than 3.5 g/dl and high myeloperoxidase activity had a favourable influence on achievement of CR. TLC less than 50 X 10(9)/L and albumin greater than 3.5 g/dl also had a favourable prognostic value. Eight patients are alive between 13 and 32 months with overall survival at 2 years being 27.5%; four patients are free of disease with projected DFS at 2 years being 13.7%. The present data indicates the need for newer approaches to improve the long term survival in childhood ANLL.