The Relationship Between Risk Factors and Survival in Adult Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Oncology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) is an aggressive cancer with limited cure rates in adults (20-40%).
• Current treatment regimens for adult ALL have suboptimal efficacy.
• Understanding prognostic factors is crucial for improving outcomes in ALL patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and evaluate prognostic factors influencing survival in adult ALL patients.
• To analyze the impact of various clinical and laboratory parameters on ALL patient survival.
• To provide region-specific data from Northeast Iran to inform clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 48 adult ALL patients from 2009-2015.
• Data collected included age, sex, fever, blood group, ALL type, cytogenetics, WBC, hemoglobin, platelet counts, and amphotericin B use.
• Overall survival (OS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and the Log-rank test.

Main Results:

• The mean age of ALL patients at diagnosis was 32.3 years, with 81.3% males.
• Significant differences in survival were observed based on age (P=0.000), with older patients faring worse.
• Five-year OS rates declined to 22.2%, and factors like fever and amphotericin B use were noted.

Conclusions:

• Age greater than 35 years emerged as the most significant negative prognostic factor in adult ALL.
• Lower life expectancy in patients receiving amphotericin B suggests severe infections or treatment resistance.
• These findings highlight the critical role of age in ALL prognosis and underscore the need for advanced therapeutic strategies.