Increased Survival for Children With Acute Myeloid Leukemia Results From Improved Postrelapse Treatment

Background: The treatment for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not changed significantly over the past 3 decades, yet outcomes have improved with cure rates increasing from 30% to over 60% of all newly diagnosed children over this period. This improvement in survival has been attributed to both treatment intensification and improved supportive care over the decades, although the precise impact of each remains unknown. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a unique cohort of 276 patients with de novo AML diagnosed in childhood, all treated with the same chemotherapy protocol over a 25-year period from 1986 to 2012. Results: The contemporary cohort (2000-2012), compared with the historical cohort (1986-1999) had significantly improved overall survival (75% vs. 50%; hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.15-2.93), lower disease-related mortality (38% vs. 19%, P=0.02) and were significantly more likely to receive an allogeneic transplant after relapse (stem cell transplantation [SCT], 73% vs. 12%; P
Source: Journal of Pediatric Hematology Oncology - Category: Hematology Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research