title: Survival and cure of acute myeloid leukaemia in England, 1971-2006: a population-based study.
abstract: The 5-year relative survival of adults diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) was less than 10% during the 1970s and 1980s in England. This population-based study estimated the 5-year relative survival and 'cure' for 48 380 adult patients diagnosed with AML in England during 1971-2006. Relative survival and cure mixture models were used to produce estimates of 5-year relative survival and the percentage 'cured'. 'Cure' was defined as the proportion of a group of survivors for whom there is no excess mortality compared with the general population. The 5-year relative survival and the percentage 'cured' increased for patients aged under 70 years at diagnosis during 1971-2006, but advancing age was associated with poorer outcome. During the study period a dramatic increase in 5-year relative survival occurred in those aged 15-24 years, from 7% to 53%. The percentage 'cured' was less than 10% for all ages in 1975, but increased to 45% for those aged 15-24 years in 2000. Cure could not be estimated for patients over 70 years, because survival was consistently low (<5%). The long-term outcome of patients with AML has improved substantially, particularly in younger patients. The potential exists for further increasing levels of 'cure'.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK. anjali.shah@npeu.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Therese M-L
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rachet
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Björkholm
authors.forename: Paul C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Lambert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: England; acute myeloid leukaemia; cure; outcome; survival