Intermittent combined chemotherapy with doxorubicin in recurrent childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

A series of 14 children with bone marrow or testicular recurrence of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and treated with pulsed combined chemotherapy incorporating doxorubicin is reviewed. All had been previously adequately treated according to established leukemia protocols. Median disease-free survival for the series is 46 weeks, overall survival 62 weeks, and the toxicity of the therapy relatively low. This compares favorably with other reports of treatment of relapsed ALL and supports the formulation of prospective trials to evaluate anthracyclines in initial induction and consolidation phases of treatment of childhood ALL.