A preventive therapy of the central nervous system complications in acute leukemias. Preliminary report.

A new therapeutic schedule for preventive therapy of the central nervous system (CNS) complications by intrathecal (i.t.) injections of methotrexate (MTX) was applied in two groups of 6 and respectively 13 adults with acute lymphoblastic or non-lymphoblastic leukemias. Instead of starting this treatment only in the remission stage, i.t. MTX was given from the very beginning of cytostatic therapy. In most of the patients this drug proved to be effective in preventing CNS involvement. In some cases, however, it was not well, tolerated owing probably to a neurotoxic effect. This suggested continuation of the study with Ara-C.