Science Links Japan | The difference in the treatment strategies between Japan and US and Europe. Differences in Therapeutic Strategies for Adult Leukemia and Lymphoma between Japan and Western Countries.

The difference in the treatment strategies between Japan and US and Europe. Differences in Therapeutic Strategies for Adult Leukemia and Lymphoma between Japan and Western Countries.

Accession number;99A0203851

Title;The difference in the treatment strategies between Japan and US and Europe. Differences in Therapeutic Strategies for Adult Leukemia and Lymphoma between Japan and Western Countries.

Author; SAKAMAKI HISASHI (Tokyo Metrop. Komagome Hosp.)

Journal Title;Japanese Journal of Cancer and Chemotherapy

Journal Code:Z0938A

ISSN:0385-0684

VOL.26;NO.1;PAGE.41-48(1999)

Figure&Table&Reference;REF.37

Pub. Country;Japan

Language;Japanese

Abstract;The purpose of this paper is to clarify the differences in therapeutic strategies for adult leukemia and lymphoma between Japan and western countries. Since in Japan, high-dose cytarabine for acute leukemia is not covered by health insurance, post-remission therapy might be less intense compared to western countries and it takes a long time to complete the therapy. The results of chemotherapy for adult acute lymphocytic leukemia(ALL) in Japan have been inferior to those in foreign reports. Accordingly, many Japanese hematologists believe that adult ALL has a worse prognosis than acute myeloid leukemia(AML), and almost all young adult patients with ALL should receive allogeneic bone marrow trans-plantation(BMT) from related or unrelated donors. Japanese hematologists also consider that Interferon as the first-line chemotherapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia(CML), and that BMT from a HLA matched sibling donor should be done as soon as possible. Recently, some foreign reports of BMT from unrelated donors for CML revealed results comparable to BMT from related donors showing that even transplants from unrelated donors should be done as soon as possible. Since chronic lymphocytic leukemia and Hodgkin's disease are so rare in Japan, the available drugs for these diseases are limited. The quality and quantity of Japanese clinical studies in this field are inferior to studies in western countries. This, in fact, is a more serious problem than the differences in therapeutic strategies. (author abst.)

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