Treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was unified in the year 1986 in the Czech Republic using BFM protocols. More than 1.000 children and adolescents up to the age of 18 years were treated between 1986 - 2002 on three consecutive studies ALL-BFM 83, ALL-BFM 90 and ALL-BFM 95.
Event-free survival and overall survival improved gradually from 58/62% on ALL-BFM 83 through 70.5/76.6% on ALL-BFM 90 until 72.1/80.2% on ALL-BFM 95. At the same time the incidence of toxic deaths was decreasing and the success in the achievement of complete remission was increasing.
Diagnostics in the Czech Republic improved remarkably in the 1990.