title: Long-term survival and late relapses in acute leukaemia in adults.
abstract: 34 out of 403 apparently unselected adult patients with acute leukaemia referred to a single department from 1970 through 1989 survived more than 3 years. The cumulative rate of relapse after 3 years was 39% in patients with acute myeloblastic leukaemia (AML) and 74% in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The latest relapse was observed 75 months after diagnosis in AML and 98 months after diagnosis in ALL. 65% of the long-term survivors were able to undertake normal physical activity, 26% had decreased activity, and 9% were unable to work. 5-year survival for all patients, whether treated or not, during two successive decades was 16% versus 18% and 5% versus 6%, respectively, for ALL and AML. The departmental results were identical with population-based national results. Only in patients 15-49 years of age with AML was there evidence that more intensive treatment had led to better survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brincker
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Christensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D012008:Recurrence; D012074:Remission Induction; D013997:Time Factors