Addition of a delayed-intensification (DI

No abstract

We report the nonrandom occurrence, frequency, and degree of immunophenotype association of the t(1;14)(p34;q11) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). This chromosomal abnormality occurred in leukemia cells from 5 of 1,630 (0.3%) consecutive children with newly diagnosed ALL who were entered on a single Pediatric Oncology Group classification study (POG 8600) between January 1986 and February 1989. The frequency of the t(1;14) was 3% (5 of 168 cases) in children with T-cell ALL. All five cases had pseudodiploid karyotypes, and in 3 cases the t(1;14) was accompanied by a deletion of the long arm of chromosome 6. This translocation is of special interest because the breakpoint on chromosome 14 in band q11 corresponds to the assigned locus of the T-cell receptor alpha/delta chain gene. All five of our patients and three cases reported previously have had T-cell ALL. These findings, considered together, suggest that this translocation is specific for T-cell ALL and that a gene in the 1p34 region may play an important role in malignant transformation of thymocytes.

APE is an efficacious regimen with minimal toxicity. Novel regimens are necessary to: (1) re-induce remission, (2) treat newly diagnosed patients, and (3) augment therapy in patients with slow response to standard regimens. This regimen had minimal toxicity and an excellent response rate that facilitated long term survival, often in conjunction with transplantation. The Children's Oncology Group is using a similar regimen to augment therapy for slow responders on a current Hodgkin disease trial.