A comparative study of acute myeloblastic leukaemia in children and adults

The presenting features and clinical course of 89 adults and 15 children with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) presenting to a Regional Leukaemia Centre has been analysed. Remission rate was related to age, being 40% for the total adult group and 60% for all children. Young adults and children had a particularly high remission rate, whilst elderly patients faired badly. Survival diminished with increasing age and patients who entered complete remission survived for a significantly longer time (P less than 0.001) than those who did not. Adult AML differs from childhood AML, the adults having a lower remission rate, a significantly shorter survival (P less than 0.005) and almost complete absence of second remissions. Adults showed no correlation between complete remission and initial WBC or initial blast cell count, but in children there was a significant correlation (P less than 0.05) between initial total WBC and complete remission. A significant correlation between initial platelet count and complete remission could not be demonstrated in either group. Although the numbers of children are small, preadolescent children may represent a favourable sub-group, particularly those between 7 and 8 years of age.