Long-term outcomes of acute myeloid leukemia in adults in Pakistan

To describe the long-term outcomes of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and to study clinicopathological features at presentation, morphological subtypes and remission rates.

Demographic information, response to therapy and survival of patients (>14 years of age) admitted between January 1988 to August 1996 with acute myeloid leukaemia was retrieved and analysed.

Seventy-four patients were admitted with a diagnosis of AML during the study period. There were 43 males and 31 females. Age ranged between 15 and 70 years with a mean age of 38 years. The most common presenting feature was fever (67.5%) and the morphological subtype according to French-American-British Group (FAB) criteria was M4. Fifty-five patients received treatment and were evaluable for response and outcomes. Thirty-six (65.4%) patients had complete remission. Sixteen (29.1%) died during the first 28 days after starting induction chemotherapy. The median survival was 11 months. Six (11%) patients (4 females, 2 males) are surviving beyond 4 years (long-term survivors).

Our study suggests that the long-term outcomes of adults with AML are comparable to what has been reported in the literature for patients who do not receive bone marrow transplants.