SALIVARY CORTISOL LEVELS AND RESPONSE TO THE REMISSION INDUCTION TREATMENT IN CHILDREN WITH ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA.

Cancer in children, and mainly the acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), is considered as one of the leading public health problems in Mexico. Glucocorticoids used to treat ALL may cause suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. The aim of the present study was to determine whether cortisol levels in saliva of the patients with ALL are related to the response to the remission induction therapy.