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Local Experience in the Treatment of Acute Non-Lymphoblastic Leukaemia


WR Bezwoda
SR Lynch
P Sacks
Diana Gale
TH Bothwell
K Stevens

Abstract

Seventy-six patients suffering from various forms of acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia were seen at the Johannesburg Hospital over an 8-year period. During this time various forms of therapy were used. Results with 6-mercaptopurine and prednisone were very poor, with less than 10% of patients achieving complete remission. Daunorubicin, when used alone, proved too toxic, but when given in a smaller dose with other agents, was more effective. The best results were obtained in 22 patients in whom a combination of daunorubicin and cytosine arabinoside was used. Complete remissions occurred in 9 patients and partial remissions in 2. The median survival of these 11 patients was 42 weeks. It is noteworthy that 3 of these patients were still alive one-and-a-half years from the time of diagnosis, and 1 of them is still in complete remission, two years after she was first treated.

S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 963 (1974).

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eISSN: 2078-5135
print ISSN: 0256-9574