Platelet Transfusions in Acute Leukemia

To the Editor: In their review article, Hunger and Mullighan (Oct. 15 issue) 1 report on the spectacular progress from 1968 through 2009 in survival among children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (Figure 1 of the article). During this period, the overall survival among children with ALL increased from less than 10% to more than 90%; this is clear proof of the effectiveness of medical research. In particular, survival increased by more than 50% over the short period between the late 1960s and the early 1970s (Figure 1 of the article). Until the late 1960s, hemorrhage, most often in relation to . . .