Recent clinical trials in acute lymphocytic leukemia by the Cancer and Leukemia Group B.

The Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) has performed a series of studies evaluating different aspects of remission induction and postremission treatment in adults with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). In recent years, these clinical trials have been supplemented by systematic morphologic, immunophenotyping, cytogenetic, and molecular genetic studies leading to the identification of different risk groups of patients who may warrant individualized treatments. These protocols have enrolled all adult patients older than 15 years with ALL, without an upper age restriction, and did not exclude Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive patients.