Mapping the Grounds for Mortalities in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Through Registry Analyses: A Retrospective Cohort Study of Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults Patients.

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to identify non-malignant factors that contribute to mortality in children, adolescents and young adults, aiming to improve patient follow-up and reduce mortality rates to achieve better survival outcomes.

METHODS: We analyzed 8,239 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases diagnosed between 2000 and 2019 in the USA. Using version 8.4.0.1 of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)*Stat software, we calculated the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each cause of death.

RESULTS: Out of the 3,165 deaths observed in the study population, the majority (2,245;70.9%) were attributed to AML itself, followed by non-AML cancers (573; 18.1%) and non-cancerous causes (347; 10.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with AML are at a higher risk of developing other types of cancer and granulocyte deficiencies, which increases the risk of death from non-cancerous causes such as infections. Moreover, treatment for AML carries the risk of cardiac problems. AML is commoner in males than females.