Prednison therapy of acute lymphatic leukemia in children

effectiveness of the steroid hormones T in inducing remissions in acute lymphatic leukemia in children is well known,s and at present cortisone is one of the more widely used agents for the treatment of this condition.During November, 1954, prednisone, an analogue of cortisone that is reported to have three to four times the anti-inflammatory and glucocorticoid activity of the latter drug without a concomitant increase in side effects,l was released for clinical use.Since that time there have been numerous reports on the usefulness of this agent in the treatment of arthritis,4.7 collagen disea~e,~, 9 and skin conditions.10T o date, no publications dealing with prednisone in the treatment of childhood leukemia have appeared.T h e results of our experience in treating twenty-one children with leukemia with this material are described here. MATERIAL AND PLAN OF THERAPYSince May 1, 1955, we have treated twentyone children having acute lymphatic leukemia with prednisone.Their ages at the time of diagnosis ranged from 5 months to 10 years.I n each case the diagnosis was confirmed by bone-marrow aspiration.llRoutine blood studies were done by the clinical laboratories; bone-marrow examinations were carried out by the hematology research laboratories.Prednisone therapy was instituted fourteen to 300 days after the known onset of the disease.T h e duration of the disease prior to diagnosis was considered to be from the time