A Study of Prednisone Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

A study of prednisone therapy in 18 patients with chronic lymphocyticleukemia is reported.

1. Antileukemic effects consisting of subjective improvement, decrease inorgan infiltration, improvement in hemoglobulin and absolute neutrophilcount occurred.

2. These effects were transient.

3. An increase, often marked, in the number of circulating lymphocytesoccurred in 16 of the 18 patients.

4. The administration of prednisone was attended by an increase in theseverity of infections. Some increase in the frequency of infections was alsoobserved, but this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

It is concluded that corticosteroids should not be used electively in patientswith chronic lymphocytic leukemia except in the presence of hemolyticanemia, significant thrombocytopenia or in the presence of advanced diseaseassociated with bone marrow failure.

Submitted on August 10, 1960 Accepted on November 5, 1960