[Long-term results of 2 therapeutic protocols in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia of usual risk. Experience at the 20th of November National Medical Center].

The purpose of this study is to know the disease-free survival in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), submitted to two therapeutic programs. Habitual risk was defined as age older than 2 and younger than 10 years, without neurological, mediastinal or testicular infiltrations, leukocytes < 25 x 10(9)/l and morphologic cell type distinct of L-3. The first group (LAL81) included 30 patients, from 1981 to 1986, and they received: induction with vincristine (VCR) and prednisone (PDN); consolidation with mercaptopurine (MP), cytosine arabinoside (ARA) and doxorubicin (DOX); prophylaxis to the central nervous system (CNS) with radiotherapy and methotrexate (MTX)-ARA-hydrocortisone (HDR) intrathecal, and maintenance with MP and MTX. In the second group (LAL87), 28 patients were included from 1987 to 1993. They received: induction with VCR, PDN and lasparaginase (ASP); consolidation with MP, ARA, DOX, carmustine (BCNU) and cyclophosphamide (CFA); prophylaxis to the (CNS) with intrathecal MTX-ARA-HDR, and maintenance with MP and MTX. There was just one therapeutic failure. In the LAL81, protocol 11 relapses and 9 in LAL87 (p = 0.71) were observed. Of these, two in each group went to the CNS. The disease-free survival in LAL81 was 0.39 at 14 years; in LAL87, was 0.53 at 8 years (p = 0.62).