The Incidence and Survival of AcuteDe NovoLeukaemias in Estonia and in a Well Defined Region of Western Sweden During 1982 – 1996: A Survey of Patients Aged 16 – 64 Years

Prognosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the General Population: Data from Southern Switzerland

Aims and background

To evaluate the outcome of adult patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and to identify prognostic factors, time to progression and overall survival.

Methods and study design

Data of all adult patients diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia from January 1984 to December 2003 were collected retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analysis for time to progression and overall survival were performed.

Results

The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia in the adult population in southern Switzerland is 2.6/100,000 per year. Complete clinical and pathological data and follow-up information were available for 128 patients. The median age was 67 years (range, 18 to 94). The median follow-up was 97 months. Median overall survival was 6 months, with a 2-year overall survival of 16%. Median time to progression was 3 months. Thirty-five patients (median age, 80 years) were given best supportive care and/or palliative chemotherapy. The median survival in this subset was 2 months. Of the 93 patients treated with a curative intent, 48 were older than 60 years. The complete remission rate after induction chemotherapy was 80% for patients younger than 60 years and 31% for those older than 60 years (P <0.0001). Overall survival at 2 years was 40% and 12%, respectively (P <0.0005). The relapse rate was 61%, and only 28% of the patients who were given reinduction chemotherapy reached a second complete remission. Of the patients treated with curative intent, 52% were treated in a clinical trial. Their median age was significantly lower than those not included in a trial: 57 vs 66 years (P <00001). Patients treated in a trial had a significantly better prognosis than those not so treated (median survival, 12 vs 6 months). Patients treated with high-dose cytarabine as first-line therapy (given to 25 of 93 patients treated with a curative intent) had a better survival than those given standard cytarabine doses (P <0.0005). The outcome of the patients treated after 1993 was significantly better (P = 0.026) than that of the previously treated cohort. In multivariate analysis (not including cytogenetic data), only age (P = 0.005), performance status >1 (P = 0.001) and treatment given before/after 1993 (P = 0.044) were found to be independent prognostic factors for both overall survival and time to progression.

Conclusions

Most patients with acute myeloid leukemia are older than 60 years, and their outcome is still disappointing. For younger patients, the prognosis is better if they receive high-dose cytarabine as post-remission therapy and if they are treated in the setting of a clinical trial.

Acute de novo Leukemia in Estonia and Western Sweden 1982-2006: Positive Trend in the Survival of Acute Leukemia over 25 Years

This study focuses on the incidence, treatment, and survival of de novo acute leukemia in a 25-year perspective in western Sweden and Estonia. At the beginning of our study, Estonia was a part of the Eastern bloc with planned economy, but since 1991 it is a member of the European Union and transforming into a market economy. Survival rates have steadily increased in both countries. However, a gap between their survival curves remains. Based on our data, it is difficult to explain the big difference in the 5-year relative survival in favor of western Sweden (55 vs. 22%). In Germany, there was a big difference in overall cancer survival between East and West Germany after the fall of the iron curtain, but today no difference is seen. Differences in survival are probably due to a higher proportion of intense chemotherapy regimens and a higher rate of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations in Sweden. Other important factors might be better supportive care and diagnostics as well as better adjuvant therapy. Better staff training and conditions in wards are also factors that might play an essential role.

The incidence and survival of acute de novo leukemias in Estonia and in a well-defined region of western Sweden during 1997-2001: a survey of patients aged 16-64 years

BACKGROUND

In a recent retrospective study, we investigated the incidence and survival of de novo acute leukemia (AL) patients aged 16-64 years over three 5-year periods (1982-1996) in Estonia and in the Western Swedish Health Care Region. The incidence rates were similar in the two countries, but the survival data were highly different. Thus, relative survival at 5 years for de novo AL patients in Estonia was virtually negligible, whereas the corresponding figures for the Swedish patients increased from 20.3 to 38.9% during the study period.

AIM

To prospectively compare the results for incidence and outcome of de novo AL between the two countries during 1997-2001.

RESULTS

Incidence rates for de novo AL were lower in Estonia than in western Sweden but not significantly so. However, the survival for de novo AL patients in Estonia had improved considerably, with the relative survival at 5 years being 16.4%; such improvement was particularly seen in acute myeloid leukemia patients. For the Swedish patients, no change in survival was recorded.

CONCLUSION

In Estonia, a remarkable improvement in outcome for young de novo AL patients was seen after 1996. Nevertheless, relative survival for the Estonian patients had still not reached the levels found in the Swedish cohort.

Association of Human Development Index with rates and outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for patients with acute leukemia

Human Development Index (HDI) is used by the United Nations Organization to measure socioeconomic achievements of countries. We evaluated the association of HDI with rates and outcomes of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with acute leukemia. For the analysis of HSCT rates, all adults with acute leukemia (n = 16 403) treated in 30 European countries, between 2001 and 2005, were included. Association of HDI with the outcome was analyzed for 2015 patients with acute myeloid leukemia treated with myeloablative allotransplantation. Countries were classified according to HDI quintiles. Highly significant correlation was found for HDI and the total number of HSCT per population (R = 0.78; P < .001), as well as separately for sibling HSCT (R = 0.84; P < .001), unrelated HSCT (R = 0.66; P < .001), and autologous HSCT (R = 0.43; P = .02). The probabilities of leukemia-free survival for 5 consecutive groups of countries with increasing HDI were: 56%, 59%, 63%, 58%, and 68% (P = .01). In a multivariate analysis, transplantations performed in countries belonging to the upper HDI category were associated with higher leukemia-free survival compared with the remaining ones (HR = 1.36, P = .008), which resulted mainly from reduced risk of relapse (HR = 0.72, P = .04). We conclude that, in Europe, the HDI is associated with both rates and results of HSCT for acute leukemia.

The incidence and survival of acute de novo leukemias in Estonia and in a well-defined region of western Sweden during 1997-2001: a survey of patients aged >or=65 years

BACKGROUND

In a recently published retrospective population-based study over three 5-year periods (1982-1996) we investigated the outcome for de novo acute leukemia (AL) patients aged >or=65 years at diagnosis in Estonia (a country that had been occupied by the Soviet Union over 5 decades) and in the so-called Western Swedish Health Care Region. The age-standardized yearly incidence rates regarding the total number of de novo AL was 5.3/100000 inhabitant for Estonia and 8.0 for Sweden, this difference being statistically significant merely as regards acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The relative survival for the total cohort of de novo AL as well as for de novo AML was significantly longer (p<0.001) for Swedish as compared to Estonian patients.

METHODS

In view of the miserable outcome for the Estonian patients we decided to prospectively compare the results for incidence and outcome of de novo AL between the two countries.

RESULTS

The present report covers the first 5-year period comprising 1997-2001 and deals only with patients aged >or=65 years at diagnosis. The age-adjusted annual incidence rates for de novo AML were lower in Estonia (6.4/100000) than in Sweden (9.2/100000) but not significantly so. The present results also show that the outcome for the Estonian AML patients had improved considerably over the study period; thus, at no time point, i.e., at 1, 3 and 5 years did relative survival between the two countries differ significantly.

CONCLUSION

Yet, as compared to the Swedish cohort relative survival for the Estonian patients did still not reach an acceptable level.

The incidence and survival of acute de novo leukaemias in Estonia and in a well-defined region of western Sweden during 1982-1996: a survey of patients aged > or =65 years

OBJECTIVES

To compare the incidence and survival of acute de novo leukaemias with particular reference to political/socio-economic and environmental factors in two neighbouring countries over the three 5-year periods (1982-1996).

PATIENTS

The present report covers only patients diagnosed when aged > or =65 years.

SETTING

A well-defined area of Sweden, the so-called Western Swedish Health Care Region and Estonia. Population-wise, the western Swedish Region and Estonia are very similar; area-wise they are also well comparable.

RESULTS

The number of acute de novo leukaemias was quite dissimilar in the two countries (Estonia, n = 137, Sweden, n = 354). The age standardized incidence rates regarding the total number of acute de novo leukaemias was 5.31 per 100,000 inhabitants/year for Estonia and 7.99 for Sweden, this difference being statistically significant. However, the difference was merely attributable to incidence rates as regards acute myeloblastic leukaemias (AML); on the contrary, differences as regards acute lymphoblastic leukaemias (ALL) and non-classifiable, undifferentiated or biphenotypic acute leukaemias (uAL) were negligible. The relative survival for the total material of patients was significantly higher for Swedish when compared with Estonian patients (P < 0.001). Thus, the relative survival for the total material of patients aged > or =65 years in Estonia at 1 year was 8.5% and at 3 years 3.5% respectively. The corresponding figures for the Swedish patients were considerably higher, 22.7 and 7.7% respectively. This difference, however, applied only for patients with AML (P < 0.001), whereas the results for patients with ALL and uAL were equally dismal.

CONCLUSION

The results clearly reflect how political and socio-economic factors may influence the survival of acute leukemia patients in two neighbouring countries.