Response of chronic myelogenous leukemia patients to COAP-splenectomy. A Southwest Oncology Group study

Eighty-seven patients from 18 institutions with a confirmed diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia were registered on a Southwest Oncology Group protocol for multiagent induction and single-agent maintenance chemotherapy, with randomization to an immunotherapy arm. Elective surgical splenectomy was performed for 42 patients at the completion of 3 months of induction therapy. Final analysis of the study revealed statistically significant survival advantages were correlated with age, splenectomy, the absence of hepatic leukemic infiltrate at the time of splenectomy, and race.