Secondary acute myeloid leukaemia: results of conventional treatments. Experience of GIMEMA trials.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the study was to evaluate the outcome of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in patients with a previous malignancy (sAML) treated with chemo- and/or radiotherapy, enrolled in conventional trials.


METHODS
In a multicentre setting, a prospective non-concurrent analysis was performed on 2513 new AML patients, aged 12-78 years, consecutively enrolled in EORTC-GIMEMA trials between 1987 and 2001. Thirty-eight patients with sAML were identified and compared with a group of 114 de novo AML patients matched according to age, French-American-British criteria, white blood cell count at diagnosis, trial and time of diagnosis of AML. Induction treatment response, disease-free survival (DFS), duration and overall survival (OS) were evaluated in the two groups.


RESULTS
Comparing the complete remission (CR) rate between 38 sAML patients and 114 de novo AML patients, selected according to the previously reported criteria, we observed no difference in the CR rates [25/38 (66%) versus 66/114 (58%); Pearson chi(2) 0.7393, P=0.390] as well as no differences while comparing the DFS and the OS between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that sAML patients are characterised by a good performance status permitting their recruitment in conventional trials without a previous myelodysplastic phase. Similar to de novo AML patients, sAML patients show good response to treatment and the possibility of cure.
Pagano
L
L
Cattedra di Ematologia, Università Cattolica S. Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, I-00168 Rome, Italy. lpagano@rm.unicatt.it
Pulsoni
A
A
Vignetti
M
M
Tosti
M E
ME
Falcucci
P
P
Fazi
P
P
Fianchi
L
L
Levis
A
A
Bosi
A
A
Angelucci
E
E
Bregni
M
M
Gabbas
A
A
Peta
A
A
Coser
P
P
Ricciuti
F
F
Morselli
M
M
Caira
M
M
Foà
R
R
Amadori
S
S
Mandelli
F
F
Leone
G
G
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007953:Leukemia, Radiation-Induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome