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Acute Leukemia in Down Syndrome Children in Hong Kong: Retrospective Review
Grace Kee See Lam1, Alex Wing Kwan Leung, Shau Yin Ha
1*Department of Pediatrics, Prince of Wales Hospital, the Chinese University of Hong Kong †Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, the University of Hong Kong ‡Department of Pediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital §Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital ∥Department of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Princess Margaret Hospital, Hong Kong.
Insights
Children with Down syndrome (DS) face increased acute leukemia risk. This study found DS-AML patients had a better prognosis, with comparable outcomes to international groups.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Hematology
- Oncology
- Genetics
Background:
- Children with Down syndrome (DS) exhibit a higher incidence of acute leukemia.
- Understanding the unique clinical and biological aspects of leukemia in DS patients is crucial for evolving treatment strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the clinical features, treatment outcomes, and survival rates of children with Down syndrome and acute leukemia in Hong Kong.
- To compare these outcomes with international findings and assess prognostic factors.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review was conducted on a cohort of 29 children with Down syndrome diagnosed with acute leukemia between 1993 and 2013.
- Patient data was sourced from the Hong Kong Pediatric Hematology and Oncology study group registry.
Main Results:
- The cohort comprised 10 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 19 cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
- The 5-year overall survival for DS-acute lymphoblastic leukemia was 65.6% and event-free survival was 54.9%.
- For DS-AML, the 5-year overall survival and event-free survival were both 89.5%.
Conclusions:
- Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes for acute leukemia in Hong Kong DS patients align with international data.
- Patients with Down syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia demonstrated a superior prognosis.
Background:
Children with Down syndrome (DS) are at higher risk of developing acute leukemia. Treatment continues to evolve as we accumulate better understanding of the distinctive clinical and biological features of acute leukemia in DS patients.
Procedure:
A retrospective review of the clinical features, treatment outcomes, and survival of DS children with acute leukemia in Hong Kong from 1993 to 2013 was conducted. Patients were identified from the registry of the Hong Kong Pediatric Hematology and Oncology study group.
Results:
This cohort included a total of 29 patients with DS. Ten were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 19 had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The mean follow-up duration was 8.3 years (range, 0.6 mo to 18.1 y). The 5-year overall survival and event-free survival for DS-acute lymphoblastic leukemia and DS-AML were 65.6%, 54.9%, 89.5%, and 89.5%, respectively.
Conclusions:
The clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of DS patients with acute leukemia in Hong Kong were comparable with results from other international study groups. Patients with DS-AML had a better prognosis.
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