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Treatment of prolymphocytic leukemia
Author(s) -
Hollister Dickerman,
Coleman Morton
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19821101)50:9<1687::aid-cncr2820500905>3.0.co;2-i
Subject(s) - chlorambucil , prednisone , medicine , splenectomy , vincristine , prolymphocytic leukemia , chemotherapy , gastroenterology , surgery , leukemia , spleen , cyclophosphamide , chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Prolymphocytic leukemia is characterized by marked splenomegaly, distinctive cellular morphologic characteristics, and a poor clinical course. Five patients with typical PL were treated systematically with vincristine/prednisone, chlorambucil/prednisone, splenic irradiation, splenectomy, and other chemotherapy regimens. No patient responded to vincristine/prednisone. Two patients responded to chlorambucil/prednisone, and four patients had brief responses to splenic irradiation. Two patients underwent splenectomy, one of whom had a prolonged clinical remission. There were no complete remissions. No other chemotherapy combinations were of value. The median survival was 33 months. Recommendations are made to use chlorambucil/prednisone or splenic irradiation as initial treatment. Splenectomy should be considered in patients refractory to these modalities. The course of PL may be more protracted than originally reported. Cancer 50:1687‐1689, 1982.