Diagnosis and treatment of childhood mature b-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the Czech Republic in 1990-2000
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)derived from mature B-cells is in fact generalized Burkitt 'slymphoma.Leukemic blasts are classified as L3 according to the FAB morphological classification.Theyare characterized by the presence of the surface immunoglobulins,most often IgM,and by a highproliferative rate.Current treatment comprising short blocks of intensive chemotherapy improvedremarkably the prognosis of this rare disease.Between VI/1990-XII/2000,ALL was diagnosed in 671children and adolescents aged 0 -18 years in the Czech Republic.B-ALL was found in 9 children (1.3 %).Complete remission was achieved in 77.8 %children.Four patients (44.4 %)suffered from early renalfailure which developed as a result of the tumour lysis syndrome.Neither death in remission nor relapsewere seen in this small group of patients.With a median follow-up of 3,7 years,the probability ofevent-free-survival is 75 %(SE 15 %).Therapeutic results of B-ALLin the Czech Republic are comparableto the results of the leading leukaemic study groups in the world.