Eric C Larsen, Meenakshi Devidas, Si Chen, Wanda L Salzer, Elizabeth A Raetz, Mignon L Loh, Leonard A Mattano, Catherine Cole, Alisa Eicher, Maureen Haugan, Mark Sorenson, Nyla A Heerema, Andrew A Carroll, Julie M Gastier-Foster, Michael J Borowitz, Brent L Wood, Cheryl L Willman, Naomi J Winick, Stephen P Hunger, William L Carroll
PURPOSE: Survival for children and young adults with high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia has improved significantly, but 20% to 25% of patients are not cured. Children's Oncology Group study AALL0232 tested two interventions to improve survival. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2004 and January 2011, AALL0232 enrolled 3,154 participants 1 to 30 years old with newly diagnosed high-risk B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia. By using a 2 × 2 factorial design, 2,914 participants were randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone (14 days) versus prednisone (28 days) during induction and high-dose methotrexate versus Capizzi escalating-dose methotrexate plus pegaspargase during interim maintenance 1...
July 10, 2016: Journal of Clinical Oncology