Outcome of treatment in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia in southern Brazil using a modified german multicenter acute lymphoblastic leukemia protocol.

Reports on treatment outcomes in adults with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in Brazil are sparse. To evaluate the outcome of patients with ALL managed by the public healthcare system, we studied 42 adults treated from 1990 to 1997 in the Division of Hematology at Hospital de Clínicas, Porto Alegre, Brazil. Of these patients, 14/42 were females and their median age at diagnosis was 26 (17-64) years. The diagnosis of ALL was based on cytological examination of marrow smears, and immunophenotypic and cytogenetic studies, when available. Fifty percent of the patients expressed CD10, 30% were CD10 negative and CD19 positive and 20% expressed T markers. Philadelphia chromosome was found in 4 (7.14%). The chemotherapy protocol was adapted from the German Multicenter ALL (GMALL) 02-84 protocol. The complete remission rate was 93% and the overall survival at 5 years was 41%. No particular risk factor was identified in our series. These results are comparable to the findings of other international studies.