Annals of Oncology Advance Access originally published online on May 10, 2006
Annals of Oncology 2006 17(7):1146-1151; doi:10.1093/annonc/mdl083
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© 2006 European Society for Medical Oncology
An antecedent diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess blasts has no prognostic relevance in acute myeloid leukemia of older adult patients
1 Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation Unit, Cardarelli Hospital, Naples; 2 Division of Onco-Hematology, Umberto I Hospital, Nocera Inferiore, Italy
* Correspondence to: Dr F. Ferrara, Via Niccolò Piccinni 6, 80128 Napoli, Italy. Tel: +39-0817472241; Fax: +39-0817472241; E-mail: felicettoferrara{at}katamail.com
Background: Conflicting results have been reported about the prognostic relevance of antecedent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) of older adults.
Patients and methods: Data from 87 intensively treated AML patients (median age 69 years) were analyzed, with the aim of comparing therapeutic results and toxicity between de novo and AML secondary to a previous MDS (s-AML). Rate of CD34+ cells mobilization and feasibility of autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) were also compared.
Results: Complete remission rate, death in induction and primary resistance were not statistically different between the two groups. Median time for neutrophil recovery was similar, while s-AML patients required a longer time for platelet recovery (P = 0.04). There was no difference as to eligibility for consolidation as well as for mobilization and feasibility of ASCT. S-AML had negligible impact on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In the multivariate analysis the only parameter significantly related to either OS or DFS duration was adverse karyotype (P = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively).
Conclusions: A diagnosis of s-AML does not represent a clinically relevant prognostic factor in elderly AML patients treated with aggressive therapy. Furthermore, s-AML patients can be mobilized and autografted with comparable results as opposed to de novo cases.
Key words: acute myeloid leukemia, elderly patients, antecedent MDS, prognostic relevance