Survival in 222 adult patients with acute leukaemia treated with intermittent combination chemotherapy programme

222 patients aged 15-59 years with acute leukaemia were treated with intermittent combination chemotherapy consisting of six 5-day courses of cytotoxic drugs as induction treatment followed by 3 years of maintenance therapy in patients who obtained complete remission (CR). CR was achieved in 50.3% of 161 patients (early deaths included) with acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML). The observed cumulative 5-yr survival rate (observation time 1-12.25 yr) calculated by the life table method was 12% in AML. Among patients who obtained CR, those aged 40-59 yr appeared to fare better than younger patients (5-yr survival: 24%). The M-3 subtype was an adverse prognostic factor. In acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) the CR rate was 83.6% and the observed cumulative 5-yr survival rate was 14%. Women fared better than men.