Abstract

MENENDEZ VEITIA, Andrea et al. Treatment of children acute myeloid leukemia in Cuba. Rev Cubana Hematol Inmunol Hemoter [online]. 2013, vol.29, n.2, pp. 189-197. ISSN 0864-0289.

Introduction. acute myeloid leukemia represents about 20 % of all leukemias in childhood with results and survival smaller than in acute lymphoid leukemia. Objectives: to describe the results obtained with the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia in children in some Cuban centers in from 2000 to 2008. Methods: forty-six patients from Western provinces of Cuba including Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara were treated. The majority of the patients were males. The median age was 9 years old. Two periods of treatment were applied, the first from 2000 to 2003 with 27 patients; and the second from 2004 to 2008 with 19 cases. The difference between the two periods was that in the second one the consolidation had short and intensive cycles. Results: the initial remission was 71 % in the first period and 89 % in the second. Free survival was 40 % in 5 years and the overall survival (OS) was 44 %, but in the first period the OS was 30,8 % and in the second it was 63,2 %. Immunophenotype and cytogenetic and molecular alterations were studied only in 10 children. Hematopoietic transplantation was not performed sytematically. Conclusions: these results show a level comparable to those achieved internationally, representing a major achievement of the Cuban National Health System.

Keywords : acute myeloid leukemia; treatment.