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The role of vincristine in the treatment of childhood acute leukemia
Author(s) -
Karon Myron,
Freireich Emil J.,
Frei Emil,
Taylor Robert,
Wolman Irving J.,
Djerassi Isaac,
Lee Stanley L.,
Sawitsky Arthur,
Hananian Juliet,
Selawry Oleg,
James David,
George Phillip,
Patterson Richard B.,
Burgert Omer,
Haurani Farid I.,
Oberfield Richard .A.,
Macy C. T.,
Hoogstraten Barth,
Blom Johannes
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
clinical pharmacology and therapeutics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.941
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1532-6535
pISSN - 0009-9236
DOI - 10.1002/cpt196673332
Subject(s) - vincristine , medicine , complete remission , placebo , toxicity , acute toxicity , leukemia , surgery , pediatrics , chemotherapy , cyclophosphamide , alternative medicine , pathology
In a study of 117 patients under the age of 20 with acute leukemia, vincristine (VCR), at 2 mg. per square meter body surface per week, produced complete remissions in 55 per cent and partial remissions in 15 per cent. The drug also induced second remissions. Patients entering complete remission with VCR were randomly allocated to maintenance therapy with VCR or placebo. The median duration of remission was short: 9 weeks for VCR compared with 6 weeks for placebo. The probability of serious neurological toxicity computed according to the time of exposure to VCR, based on the supposition that VCR was not used for maintenance therapy, indicated that the minimal theoretical risk of toxicity for the highest complete remission rate occurred at 4 weeks (38 per cent remissions with 5 per cent toxicity). At 6 weeks, the corresponding probabilities were 54 and 16 per cent.