Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia in Nicaragua: long-term results in the context of an international cooperative program.

Background: The aim of this paper is to describe the results of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment in Nicaragua from 1995 to 2005 in the context of an international cooperation program.

Procedures: Patients <18 years with ALL were treated with two consecutive protocols (1995 and 2000). After a steroid prophase, a three-drug induction was administered in protocol 1995, and a four-drug induction, including asparaginase, was administered in protocol 2000.