Imatinib mesylate in combination with chemotherapy in four children with de novo and advanced stage Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The role of imatinib in childhood Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has not been established. We treated four children with imatinib in combination with conventional chemotherapy (CT) before stem cell transplantation (SCT). Response evaluation consisted of fluorocytometric analysis of minimal residual disease (MRD) and standard qualitative RT-PCR follow-up.