A good prognosis group in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

The records of 121 children presenting with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia between 1969 and 1982 were reviewed. The overall relapse free survival rate was 50%. However, girls presenting with a total white blood cell count of 20 X 10(9)/l or less (35% of all patients) had a particularly favourable prognosis with an 80% relapse-free survival rate at 12 years. The difference in prognosis between the sexes is confirmed but this difference is confined to the low initial white cell count group. We suggest that girls in this group should be excluded from the more intensive arms of new treatment protocols.