BCG immunotherapy in chronic myelocytic leukemia.

Abstract

In 16 patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia an attempt to retard the myeoblastic transformation was carried out by means of repeated BCG administration in the period of remissions resulting from chemotherapy. Vaccinations were repeated at intervals of 4 weeks with doses of 2 mg of Mycobacteria by scarification. The time of uninterrupted remissions maintained with BCG vaccinations only ranged from 2 to 28 months, on the average 7.4 months. In this group 2 patients died and the duration of follow-up in the remaining cases ranges from 16 to 106 months, average 43.5 months. The survival time in the group of 16 patients with the same disease, who died after treatment with cytostatics only, was shorter ranging from 12 to 83 months, 32 months on the average. In one patient BCG vaccination was followed by tuberculosis of a supraclavicular lymph node.