The Nation - News from July 31, 1986

A two-year regimen of chemotherapy can save the lives of some young leukemia victims after they relapse following initial treatment, a new study said. Doctors tested the treatment on 39 youngsters with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, one of the most treatable forms of cancer. About 70% to 80% of all children with the disease achieve long-term, relapse-free survival. However, the outlook for survival dims when relapse occurs, the report said. The new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggests that a rotating series of four chemotherapy drugs can prevent some deaths.