T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a report of 60 patients from India

60 patients studied at the Tata Memorial Hospital from January 1976 to December 1982 were diagnosed as having T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) by nonimmune rosette formation with sheep red blood cells. The analysis revealed a high incidence of mediastinal mass (50%) and extramedullary infiltration at presentation. The majority of patients (62%) presented with a high WBC count (greater than 50,000/mm3). Unipolar acid phosphatase activity was observed in 90% of patients. The remission rate with a combination treatment of adriamycin, vincristine and prednisolone was found to be 95%. Long-term survival was around 30%. More aggressive or innovative treatments will be needed to improve the results in T-cell ALL.