LONG-TERM SURVIVAL AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN PATIENTS TREATED WITH A NATIONAL ALL PROTOCOL 15-20 YEARS EARLIER - IDM HDM AND LATE EFFECTS/

In a follow-up matched control study the 93 (70.5%) survivors of 132 c hildren treated with a national protocol for acute lymphoblastic leuke mia (ALL) and 5 survivors of the other 21 cases of ALL in childhood di agnosed in the same period were evaluated. Thus it was also a populati on-based study. The national treatment protocol was used in the period 1975-1980. Methotrexate (MTX) infusions combined with intrathecal MTX were used as prophylaxis against neuroleukemia instead of irradiation . Neither doxorubicin (Adriamycin) nor cyclophosphamide was used in th e protocol. A questionnaire covering demographic data, number of offsp ring, learning problems, level of athletic performance, education, and work status as well as medical information was used. Forms were recei ved from 94 (96%) of the 98 adult surviving cases and corresponding co ntrols in the family. Interviews were performed in the remaining four cases (4%). There were no statistical differences between the two grou ps with respect to physical and mental health and quality of life. Hos pital records of all patients were also checked for possible late effe cts. There was no definite case of secondary malignant neoplasm; howev er, there was one case of prolactinoma and only one case of serious se quedae (hemiparesis during therapy), probably due to intrathecal and i ntravenous MTX.