In the past 10 to IS years there has been dramatic improvement in the survival of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. At the present time, over 50% of children with this disease will be alive and free of their disease at least 5 years from the time of their initial diagnosis. Although a number of factors have contributed to this improvement, perhaps none has been as important as the institution of central nervous system preventive therapy (eNS prophylaxis). However, despite the efficacy of eNS prophylaxis, the prevention and treatment of central nervous system leukemia continues to...

The dramatic improvement made in recent years in the treatment of child hood malignancies has been in large part the result of advances in the field of pharmacology. Chemotherapy is the major therapeutic modality used to treat childhood cancer. Rational administration of antineoplastic chemo therapy to the child with cancer requires the pediatric oncologist to have a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of clinical pharmaco logy, an intimate knowledge of the specific agents being used, and an aware ness of the unique biologic and physiologic features of children. In mid 1985,...