T-cell ALL and B-cell ALL
Last reviewed 01/2018
T-cell ALL:
- complete remission rates have improved from about 40% to a range of 80-90%, and survival rates to 40-50% over the last 10 years
- improved treatment success is believed to be the result of the inclusion of particular cytostatic drugs with activity against T lymphoblasts, e.g. cytarabine and cyclophosphamide
B-cell ALL:
- the rate of complete remission has improved from 40% to 70%. The rate of disease-free survival has increased to 70+% in children and 40-50% in adults
- improved treatment success is the result of inclusion in chemotherapy of high doses of cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, or cytarabine