CHARACTERIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF POOR-PROGNOSIS CHILDHOOD ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC-LEUKEMIA

The cure rate of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has impr oved dramatically over the past 20 years([1, 2]), largely due to the u se of intensified chemotherapy. With intensive multiagent chemotherapy and effective central nervous system (CNS)directed regimens, up to 99 % of children with ALL achieve complete remission. As many as 75% of t hese patients continue into long-term remission and are considered to be cured of their disease.([3-10]) However, even in the context of con temporary intensive treatment, almost 35% of children with ALL have re lapse and eventually die of progressive disease.