Long-term results of national treatment trials in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in several Middle/East European countries

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is the most frequent childhood cancer. During the last 50 years its prognosis has improved from zero probability of survival in the 1950s to more than 80% chance to be cured at the beginning of the 21st century. ALL is a highly chemosensitive disease and its successful treatment is a good indicator of the level of medical care that children with cancer get in each country. Th ere are huge diff erences in the outcome of this disease between developed and developing countries. Th e international randomized multicenter trial Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Intercontinental – BFM 2002 (ALL IC) is one of the most successful projects developed recently inside the International-BFMStudy Group (I-BFM-SG) – one of the world-leading societies connecting national leukaemia groups in Europe and abroad. Fourteen countries from Europe, South America and Asia took part in a trial running between Long-term results of national treatment trials in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in several Middle/East European countries