Comparison of neurocognitive functioning in children previously randomly assigned to intrathecal methotrexate compared with triple intrathecal therapy for the treatment of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

For the majority of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), CNS prophylaxis consists of either intrathecal (IT) methotrexate or triple IT therapy (ie, methotrexate with both cytarabine and hydrocortisone). The long-term neurotoxicities of these two IT strategies have not yet been directly compared.

Patients and methods

In this multisite study, 171 children with standard-risk ALL, age 1 to 9.99 years at diagnosis, previously randomly assigned to IT methotrexate (n = 82) or to triple IT therapy (n = 89) on CCG 1952, underwent neurocognitive evaluation by a licensed psychologist at a mean of 5.9 years after random assignment.

Results

Patients who received IT methotrexate had a mean Processing Speed Index that was 3.6 points lower, about one fourth of a

SUBMITTER: Kadan-Lottick NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2793042 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature