prognosis of AML

Last edited 05/2019

Acute myeloid leukaemia mortality is strongly related to age, with the highest mortality rates being in older people.

  • in the UK in 2014-2016, on average each year more than half (52%) of deaths were in people aged 75 and over - largely reflects higher incidence and lower survival for acute myeloid leukaemia in older people
  • age-specific mortality rates rise steadily from around age 50-54 and more steeply from around age 60-64
  • highest rates are in the 85 to 89 age group for males and females. Mortality rates are significantly higher in males than females in a number of (mainly older) age groups. The gap is widest at age 90+, when the age-specific mortality rate is 2 times higher in males than females

Younger adults:

  • 70-80% of adults with AML under 50 years achieve complete remission
  • postremission chemotherapy is curative in 20-30% of cases
  • allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is curative in 45-55% of cases - but bone marrow transplants are restricted to persons under 55 years of age, and often, only to those who have an HLA-matched sibling donors

Older adults:

  • 50% achieve complete remission

Reference: