International note - Treatment of Czech children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A report of the Czech working group for pediatric hematology
Abstract
Results in 258 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treated in the Czech Republic between 1979 and 1983 according to in-house protocols demonstrated a dismal outcome. The complete remission (CR) rate was 82%, 3-year event free survival (EFS) 30% and overall survival 44%.
The Czech Working Group for Pediatric Hematology was established in 1985 and in 1986, treatment of children with ALL was unified on a national basis using the ALL-BFM 83 protocol. Between 1986 and 1990, a total of 339 children were treated in 10 regional centers.
CR increased to 90.5% and the 5-year EFS almost doubled the previous 3-year rate to 58% (SE 2%). A new ALL-BFM 90 protocol was started in 1990 and continued until 1996.
Our results of this well established treatment in the first years of the postcommunist era of the Czech Republic are presented in this report.