Risk-adjusted therapy for pediatric non-T cell ALL improves outcomes for standard risk patients: results of JACLS ALL-02.

This study was a second multicenter trial on childhood ALL by the Japan Childhood Leukemia Study Group (JACLS) to improve outcomes in non-T ALL. Between April 2002 and March 2008, 1138 children with non-T ALL were enrolled in the JACLS ALL-02 trial. Patients were stratified into three groups using age, white blood cell count, unfavorable genetic abnormalities, and treatment response: standard risk (SR), high risk (HR), and extremely high risk (ER).

Long-term Results of the Risk-adapted Treatment for Childhood B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Report From the Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study ALL-97 Trial.

Purpose: This study was conducted as the first clinical trial by Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study to improve the outcome of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and explore a less toxic reinduction block.

Patients And Methods: From 1997 to 2002, 563 patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia aged 1 to 15 years were enrolled. The patients were assigned into 4 risk groups (standard, intermediate, high, or extremely high risk) and treated with regimens intensified according to the risk.

Acute and late toxicities of pirarubicin in the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: results from a clinical trial by the Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia Study.

Background: Anthracyclines are used to treat childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Even when administered at low doses, these agents are reported to cause progressive cardiac dysfunction. We conducted a clinical trial comparing the toxicities of two anthracyclines, pirarubicin (THP) and daunorubicin (DNR), in the treatment of childhood ALL.

Efficacy and safety of micafungin for febrile neutropenia in pediatric patients with hematological malignancies: a multicenter prospective study.

Background: Invasive fungal infections are a major cause of infectious mortality in neutropenic patients receiving chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, little is known about the efficacy and safety of micafungin (MCFG), an echinocandin antifungal agent, in pediatric patients with febrile neutropenia (FN).

Procedure: This study was conducted as a prospective multicenter trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MCFG for FN in pediatric patients with hematological diseases.

Outcome of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia with induction failure treated by the Japan Association of Childhood Leukemia study (JACLS) ALL F-protocol.

Background: Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who fail to achieve complete remission (CR) after induction therapy (induction failure: IF) have a poor prognosis; however, there have been few prospective studies in patients with IF.

Patients And Methods: Between April 1997 and March 2005, 27 of 1,237 leukemic patients (2.2%) failed to achieve CR after four- or five-drug induction therapy.

Treatment of stage IV malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney (MRTK) with ICE and VDCy: a case report.

The prognosis of stage IV malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney (MRTK) has been extremely poor. However, a combination of ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) and VDCy (vincristine, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide) was recently reported to be effective for metastatic MRTK. We describe a 21-month-old girl with stage IV MRTK who was successfully treated with ICE, VDCy, and radiotherapy.

Successful cidofovir treatment of adenovirus-associated hemorrhagic cystitis and renal dysfunction after allogenic bone marrow transplant.

We present a patient who developed hemorrhagic cystitis and renal dysfunction after unrelated bone marrow transplantation. Polyoma BK virus and adenovirus 11 were detected in the urine. Vidarabine was administered without effect.

Biologic activity of RANTES in apheresis PLT concentrates and its involvement in nonhemolytic transfusion reactions.

Background: RANTES, one of the PLT-derived biologic response modifiers, accumulates in PLT concentrates (PCs) during storage and may play a causative role in nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (NHTRs) after PC transfusion.

Study Design And Methods: To investigate the association of RANTES with NHTRs, the biologic activity of RANTES in the supernatant of stored PC at the intravascular concentration expected after PC transfusion was assessed by examining chemotaxis and histamine release in human basophils. In addition, the levels of RANTES in PCs involved in NHTRs were compared with those in PCs causing no transfusion reactions.

[Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with conditioning regimens containing melphalan in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia].

A multicenter comparative study was carried out to investigate the efficacy and safety of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with conditioning regimens containing melphalan in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. One hundred twenty three patients at a variety of remission stages were eligible for study participation. Eighty-nine were transplanted with allogeneic grafts and 34 patients with autologous grafts (23 cases with bone marrow and 11 cases with peripheral blood stem cells).