Increasing survival from leukemia among adolescents and adults in Canada: A closer look

Survival from adult onset leukemia has increased substantially in Canada since at least the early 1990s. However, an analysis of the extent of this improvement by type of leukemia is lacking.

Data are from the Canadian Cancer Registry, with mortality follow-up through record linkage to the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Increases in five-year relative survival ratios (RSRs) between 1992-to-1994 and 2006-to-2008 were calculated by age and sex for all leukemias combined and for each of the main types.

Increases in five-year RSRs were significant for all leukemia types studied, ranging from 9.2 percentage units for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) to 24.9 percentage units for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). For all leukemias combined, additional adjustment for case-mix reduced the increase in survival from 14.6 to 11.8 units; increases were significant among both sexes and each age group. Improvement in survival for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) was greater at older ages. For AML, improvements were greater among people younger than age 55; no significant change was detected among those diagnosed at ages 75 to 99. A significant survival advantage for women relative to men was apparent in the 2006-to-2008 period for all leukemias combined and for CLL and CML.

Despite recent significant gains in survival for each main type of leukemia, room remains for improvement.