Treatment, long-term outcome and prognostic variables in 214 unselected AML patients in Sweden

With the aim of describing an unselected series of acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) in adults, patients diagnosed 1987-1992 in the Orebro region of cent ral Sweden were reviewed by investigating hospital records. By utilizing: ( 1) The Swedish Cancer Registry, (2) The Cause of Death Registry, (3) listin gs of pathology bone marrow reports and (4) listings of inpatient discharge diagnoses, we attempted to find all patients. Among secondary AML, only bl ast-crises of CML were excluded. A total of 214 cases of AML with a median age of 69.5 years were verified corresponding to a mean yearly incidence in adults of 5.4/100 000. Of all patients, 56% had received 'high-dose' induc tion treatment, 28% 'low-dose' treatment and 16% no cytostatic treatment. M edian survival for all patients was 5.8 months and the probability of survi val at 5 years was 9.3%. The 120 'high-dose' treated patients had a total C R rate of 67%, median CR duration 10.1 months and median survival 11.4 mont hs. Age, LDH and kidney function were found to be independent prognostic va riables for survival. The inclusion of patients unreferred from district ho spitals makes this study unique as an example of unselected AML. (C) 2000 C ancer Research Campaign.