Long-term survivors in acute leukemia and Burkitt's tumor

Of 157 long-term survivors with acute leukemia, 103 are living and well with no evidence of disease (NED) 5 to 17 years from the diagnosis. Of these 103, 48 have been off therapy for a year or more, 43 for 2 or more years, 29 for 5 years or more, and 10 for 10 years or more. Survival curves suggest that over 50% of the 157 patients who have survived more than 5 years should survive 15 years. The author's data suggest that in the patient treated for 7 years and NED for at least 4, therapy may be discontinued. In Burkitt's tumor in Africa 38 of 245 treated cases (15.5%) have been in unmaintained remission for from one to 7 years. The authors suggest that in the United States all abdominal and extranodal lymphoma in children, except Hodgkin's disease, be treated as is Burkitt's tumor in Africa with Cytoxan, 40 mg/kg every 3 weeks, plus obliterative radiotherapy where disease appears localized.