LONG-TERM SURVIVAL IN ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA - A 2ND FOLLOW-UP OFTHE 4TH INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CHROMOSOMES IN LEUKEMIA

Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML, equivalent to acute non-lym phoblastic leukemia [ANLL]) who were studied at the Fourth and Sixth I nternational Workshops on Chromosomes in Leukemia and who have long su rvival have been re-assessed to identify factors which may be associat ed with good prognosis in AML. In a long-term survivor (LTS) group, th ere were more cases than expected in each age decade below 50, more ca ses than expected with FAB type M3, and fewer cases than expected of s econdary leukemia. Of the distribution of chromosome abnormalities, t( 15;17), t(8;21), and inv/del(16) were over-represented, and -5, -7, an d rearrangements of 11q were under-represented, Multivariate analysis of all patients showed that age group, cytogenetic classification, FAB type, and sex all had independent, significant effects on survival. A new observation from a very small subgroup of patients was that delet ion of 7q without concurrent abnormality of chromosome 5 appeared to b e associated with a good prognosis.