Absence of prognostic significance of skeletal involvement in acute lymphocytic leukemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children.

Over a period of 6 years 88 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia and malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma were treated according to the West-Berlin protocol. In 72 children skeletal surveys were performed initially and these showed leukemic bone changes in 31 patients. Follow-up was obtained in 70 patients for up to 8 years after diagnosis: 20 of these patients died and of these 8 showed initial skeletal involvement. In 17 children relapses occurred and 10 of them had bone lesions at first presentation. There was no significant correlation between the extent of the skeletal involvement and the survival time as calculated by life table analysis.