Outcome of adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a single-center experience

BACKGROUND: Adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has a dismal outcome within the optimal situations as the 5-year overall survival (OS) is not reaching 40%. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of adult ALL in Erbil, Iraq, and to see the factors predicting better survival among them. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from 71 adult ALL patients aged 14-81 years (mean age: 28.6 years). Diagnosis is based on the peripheral blood film, bone marrow examination, and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The median OS was 21 months and the median relapse-free survival (RFS) was 13 months. The 3-year OS and the 3-year RFS were 49.3% and 40.8%, respectively, while the 5-year OS and the 5-year RFS were 37.5% and 32.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Factors predicting better survival included in the study; age at diagnosis, remission achievement at first induction, risk assessment, and allogeneic stem cell transplantation optimal response.