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Cancer News: Article   Printable Version 


Cancer News Article
Erythroleukemia Not Different from Other Categories of AML in Response to Treatment

Researchers from the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have reported that patients with erythroleukemia (AML-M6) have results similar to those of patients with other types of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with adverse risk factors. The details of this study appeared September 10, 2009 in an early online publication in Leukemia.[1]

Acute erythroid leukemia (erythroleukemia) is designated M-6 in the FAB classification. This is a rare form of AML that is thought to have a worse prognosis than other FAB types of AML. Only 91 patients with erythroleukemia were seen at M. D. Anderson between 1980 and 2008, which indicates the relative rarity of this type of AML. Patients in this study received the same treatment regimens as other patients with AML. In the current study, researchers compared erythroleukemia to other types of leukemia and made the following observations:

  • A history of myelodysplasia (MDS) was present in 50% of patients with erythroleukemia and 46% of controls.
  • Poor-risk cytogenetics were present in 62% of patients with erythroleukemia compared with 38% of the control group.
  • Complete remissions were achieved in 62% of patients with erythroleukemia compared with 58% of the control group.
  • Median disease-free survival was 32 weeks for patients with erythroleukemia compared with 49 weeks for the control group.
  • Median overall survival was 36 weeks for patients with erythroleukemia compared with 43 weeks for the control group.
  • In multivariate analysis, having AML-M6 was not an independent risk factor for disease-free or overall survival.

These authors concluded: “The diagnosis of AML-M6 does not impart by itself a worse prognosis, and treatment decisions on this disease should be guided by well known AML prognostic factors.”

Comments: These are helpful facts for physicians confronted with treating a patient with erythroleukemia.

Reference:

[1] Santos FP, Faderi S, Garcia-Manero G, et al. Adult acute erythroleukemia: an analysis of 91 patients treated at a single institution. Leukemia [early online publication]. September 10, 2009.



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