Treatment of childhood leukemia.

The development of successful therapy for most children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia can be attributed to sequential clinical studies that show the importance of combination chemotherapy, sanctuary-specific treatment, and supportive care measures. The relative resistance of acute myelogenous leukemia to chemotherapy led to strategies that include dose-intensified chemotherapy and bone marrow transplantation. The improvement in long-term survival for children with acute leukemia has been gratifying but also has been associated with late effects that underscore the need for careful follow-up and for designing risk-adapted therapies.