Outcome of relapsed or refractory childhood B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma treated with the UKCCSG 9003/9002 protocols

• Published in: British journal of haematology 2001-03, Vol.112 (4), p.965-968
• Main Authors: Atra, A., Gerrard, M., Hobson, R., Imeson, J. D., Hann, I. M., Pinkerton, C. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Bone Marrow Transplantation; Burkitt Lymphoma - drug therapy; Burkitt Lymphoma - radiotherapy; Burkitt Lymphoma - therapy; B‐acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; B‐non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma; Chemotherapy; Child; childhood; Combined Modality Therapy; Cyclophosphamide - administration & dosage; Cytarabine - therapeutic use; Doxorubicin - administration & dosage; Etoposide - therapeutic use; Follow-Up Studies; Hematology; Humans; Lymphoma, B-Cell - drug therapy; Lymphoma, B-Cell - radiotherapy; Lymphoma, B-Cell - therapy; Medical sciences; Palliative Care; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - drug therapy; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - radiotherapy; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma - therapy; Prednisone - administration & dosage; Recurrence; refractory; relapsed; Treatment Outcome; Vincristine - administration & dosage
• ISSN: 0007-1048; 1365-2141
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2141.2001.02647.x

Twenty‐six children with B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (B‐ALL) or Murphy Stage III or IV B‐cell non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (B‐NHL) progressed or relapsed after first‐line therapy with a short, intensive multiagent chemotherapy regimen [United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study Group (UKCCSG) 9003] (n = 62) or a slightly less intensive regimen (UKCCSG 9002) (n = 112). Eight patients (4·6%) never achieved complete remission (CR) and 18 (10·3%) relapsed. Second‐line therapy resulted in remission for eight patients (30%). All patients initially treated with the 9003 protocol died. Three patients (11·5%) in the 9002 group, including one who never achieved CR in the primary site, are alive after second‐line therapy. This study confirms that the prognosis of relapsed or refractory B‐ALL/B‐NHL is poor and exceptionally so if relapse occurred less than 6 months from diagnosis. High‐dose therapy with stem cell rescue was used in only seven patients; its role needs to be studied further.