Remission maintenance in acute lymphocytic leukemia with hydroxyurea.

After complete remission had been induced by prednisone and vincristine in children with acute leukemia, hydroxyurea was used in an effort to maintain remission. No significant prolonga tion of remission occurred despite the appearance of toxicity in over 50% of the high dosage group. An equally significant ob servation was that the duration of remission produced by predni sone and vincristine was longer in those who had not received vincristine during a prior induced remission.