Sex and prognosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia

Prognostic factors at diagnosis were examined in 67 children who presented with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 1970-76 and received modern treatment, incorporating prophylactic cranial irradiation and maintenance chemotherapy for at least 2 years. The effects of age and white blood-cell (W.B.C.) count were evident as in many previously reported studies but comparison of lifetables showed that the duration of haematological remission and complete remission was significantly shorter for boys than for girls. The difference in their survival was not significant. The risk of haematological relapse for boys and significantly greater even when relapses associated with the central nervous system or testicular relapse were excluded. The sex differences were not adequately explained by differences in initial W.B.C. count or in age.