Blast Crisis of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia: The Effect of Intensive Chemotherapy

Abstract

Twenty-four patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in blast crisis were treated with intensive chemotherapy. Sixteen patients showed partial or complete response to this treatment, but median survival remained short (13 wk), and much of this time was spent in the hospital. These results were not significantly better than those obtained by others using vincristine and prednisolone alone, and this combination of drugs can often be given on an outpatient basis. Until more effective intensive therapy becomes available patients in CML blast crisis should be managed in such a way that the quality of life is not impaired. At present vincristine and prednisolone appears to be the most appropriate initial treatment, even this is far from satisfactory.