Improved outcome in pediatric AML due to augmented supportive care

We conducted a retrospective review of patients treated following the MRC acute myeloid leukemia (AML) 10 protocol to determine if supportive care measures sequentially introduced by our institution led to a significant improvement in treatment-related mortality (TRM) in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with AML. Patients were partitioned based on supportive care measures into era1, from 1996 to 2002 (n = 20), and era2, from 2003 to 2011 (n = 40). The introduced supportive care measures reduced the TRM from 23.4% in era1 to 2.5% in era2 (P = 0.034). The results demonstrate that supportive care is a significant factor in determining the outcome of childhood AML.