title: Adult acute erythroleukemia: an analysis of 91 patients treated at a single institution.
abstract: Acute erythroleukemia (AML-M6) is an uncommon subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML); it is considered to have a poor prognosis. From 1 January 1980 to 21 May 2008, 91 patients with newly diagnosed AML-M6 were seen at the University of Texas-M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (UT-MDACC). Forty-five patients (50%) had a history of myelodysplatic syndrome (MDS), compared with 41% in our control group (patients with other AML subtypes) (P=0.08). Poor-risk cytogenetics were more common in patients with AML-M6 (61% versus 38%, P=0.001). Complete remission rates were 62% for patients with AML-M6, comparing with 58% for the control group (P=0.35). Median disease free survival (DFS) for patients with AML-M6 was 32 weeks, versus 49 weeks for the control group (P=0.05). Median overall survival (OS) of patients with AML-M6 was 36 weeks, compared with 43 weeks for the control group (P=0.60). On multivariate analysis for DFS and OS, AML-M6 was not an independent risk factor. AML-M6 is commonly associated with a previous diagnosis of MDS and poor-risk karyotype. The diagnosis of AML-M6 does not impart by itself a worse prognosis, and treatment decisions on this disease should be guided by well known AML prognostic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Leukemia, University of Texas-M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: F P S
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faderl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garcia-Manero
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.forename: M
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authors.lastname: Beran
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authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pierce
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Freireich
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borthakur
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bueso-Ramos
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kantarjian
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ravandi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D004915:Leukemia, Erythroblastic, Acute / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009190:Myelodysplastic Syndromes / Q000150:complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult