In recent years, treatment outcomes for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in early life have become increasingly better through chemotherapy alone, but in some cases this leukaemia cannot be cured just by chemotherapy.
If doctors suspect that a recurrence is likely, they recommend a blood stem cell transplant. Siblings, parents or unrelated individuals are suitable donors. Bone marrow and blood from veins or umbilical cords are suitable sources of stem cells.
The main aim of the trial is to improve and standardise throughout Europe the treatment of children and adolescents who have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia by means of blood stem cell transplants. All the major therapy elements and methods used in this trial have been tested in transplantation medicine for adults and also for children.
The trial establishes the details of donor selection and the therapy during and after transplantation. Patients’ condition during and after the therapy will be observed and documented in detail. This should enable side effects or unfavourable developments to be identified in good time. The St. Anna childhood cancer research institute in Vienna, Austria is responsible for the international implementation of the trial (sponsor). The Swiss Paediatric Oncology Group (SPOG) is responsible for implementing the trial in Switzerland (sponsor representative).
In short
- The study is investigating stem cell transplants in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
- The details of donor selection and treatment during and after transplantation will be specified by the study.
- The findings from the study can improve and standardise blood stem cell transplantation across Europe.
