1 Adolescent Unit, Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02146
In Reply.
The first issue is whether or not bone marrow transplantation is, indeed, the most effective therapy available for children with leukemia. Drs Ogden and Steuber refer to "more than a decade of literature in which good responses after bone marrow transplantation have been reported." Likewise, Drs Weinblatt et al state that "the majority of patients currently receiving transplantation therapy for. . .leukemia in first remission are cured. . . ." However, Pinkel (Leukemia. 1989;3:242-244), in a recent editorial, carefully and succinctly reviewed the relevant data and concluded the exact opposite.