Long-term follow-up of patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia treated at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center

✍ Scribed by Elihu Estey; Marcos deLima; Sara Strom; Sherry Pierce; Emil J Freireich; Michael J. Keating

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 98 KB
• Volume: 80
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0142(19971201)80:11+<2176::aid-cncr2>3.0.co;2-g

✦ Synopsis

RESULTS.

Because failure rates declined to relatively low levels after a first or later complete remission of ¢3 years' duration, such patients comprised a ''potentially Departments of Hematology and Epidemiology, cured'' cohort. The criterion for entry into this cohort was fulfilled by 215 patients University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Cen-(10.7%; 203 in first complete remission and 12 in second remission). At a median ter, Houston, Texas. of 6.2 years after entry into the cohort (i.e., 9.2 years from complete remission), 163 patients (76%) remain alive and in complete remission. Approximately 9% and 5% of the 1892 patients have been in complete remission for ú5 years and ú10 years, respectively. The pretreatment prognostic importance of cytogenetics is still apparent even after 5 years in complete remission. On average, members of the potentially cured cohort were not observed to be at increased risk of subsequent invasive malignancies compared with a normal population. Furthermore, twothirds of those in the potentially cured cohort who were working full time before diagnosis of AML claimed to have returned to full-time work. Of those not working, only 10% cited physical limitation as the reason.

CONCLUSIONS.

The major threat to the life and well-being of the patient with AML is clearly the disease and not its treatment.