Survival Outcomes and Prognostic Factors in Therapy-Related Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A SEER Database Study, 2000-2020

With advances in therapeutics and longer survival across different cancer spectrums, the incidence of therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia (tAML) has continued to rise. This study aims to evaluate the trend of survival outcomes and their association with sociodemographic factors in tAML over the last 20 years.

We identified tAML patients between 2000 and 2020 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Patients were divided into 4 age groups: 18-39, 40-59, 60-69, and >= 70 years, and 4 diagnostic periods: 2000-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2020. Overall survival (OS) was compared using Kaplan Meier and log-rank methods.

The 1-year (and 5-year) OS in patients with tAML was 59.3% (33.7%), 48.2% (24.8%), 37.2% (11.1%), and 32.9% (5.5%) in age groups 18-39, 40-59, 60-69, and >=70 years, respectively. The 1-year (and 5-year) OS based on the year of diagnosis was 20.9% (13.2%), 36.8% (15.2%), 41.9% (13.88%), and 40.4% (not reached) for 2000-2005, 2006-2010, 2011-2015, and 2016-2020 respectively. Among the youngest cohort aged 18-39 years, 1-year OS was 35.7%, 57.7%, 66.7%, and 59.6%, respectively, in 4 diagnostic periods, whereas 1-year OS was 10.5%, 23.9%, 32.2%, and 36.9%, respectively, in the oldest cohort aged >=70 years. Age, year of diagnosis, and geographic location were independent prognostic markers of OS.

Our study demonstrates a significant improvement in the 1-year OS of tAML patients over the last decade, but the long-term prognosis remains dismal. Older patients continue to show improved survival in recent years with the addition of newer intensive and nonintensive options.