Patients with T-ALL must be enrolled on COG AALL08B1 (Classification Study) prior to enrollment on AALL0434
Patients with T-NHL can enroll directly on AALL0434 (enrollment on COG AALL08B1, Classification Study, is not required)
Age: >1 and <31 years of age
Diagnosis: newly diagnosed T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) or T-Lineage Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (T-NHL) Stage II-IV
No prior cytotoxic chemotherapy with the exception of steroids and/or IT cytarabine
Patients with a prior seizure disorder requiring anti-convulsant therapy are not eligible to receive Nelarabine*
Patients with pre-existing Grade 2 or greater peripheral neurotoxicity determined prior to Induction treatment are not eligible to receive Nelarabine*
Patients with Down syndrome are not eligible for this study
CNS3-Positive T-NHL patients are not eligible for this study
*these restrictions in eligibility are designed to prevent excessive Nelarabine-induced central and peripheral neurotoxicity in at-risk patients; includes any patient that has received anticonvulsant therapy to prevent/treat seizures in the prior two years.