Peripheral blast counts at diagnosis of late isolated bone marrow relapse of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia predict response to salvage chemotherapy and outcome. Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster Relapse Study Group.

Abstract

The absence of blasts on peripheral-blood smears at the time of a first late isolated BM relapse of childhood ALL is associated with a favorable response and prognosis in chemotherapy-treated children, who should be regarded as ineligible for bone marrow transplantation (BMT) unless a second round of chemotherapy has failed to produce a response.