Late outcomes in survivors of childhood acute myeloid leukemia: a report from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort Study

Cumulative burden of chronic health conditions and neurocognitive and physical function were examined among survivors of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated with hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT; n = 66) or conventional therapy (CT; n = 67). Survivors and controls underwent a comprehensive clinical assessment, and health conditions were graded using a modified version of the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. By age 40 years, HCT and CT survivors had an average 17.4 (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.6-20.1) and 9.3 (7.7-11.1) grade 1-4 conditions versus 3.8 (3.3-4.2) in community controls. Compared to controls, HCT survivors had a higher prevalence of hypertriglyceridemia (45.5% vs. 18.3%), hypercholesterolemia (47.0% vs. 30.9%), hypothyroidism (27.3% vs. 4.0%), and primary hypogonadism (p < 0.001). CT survivors had a higher prevalence of cardiomyopathy (11.9% vs. 2.7%) and hypertension (53.7% vs. 44.3%). Neurocognitive impairment was elevated across all domains compared to controls but did not differ by treatment modality. Compared to controls, a higher proportion of HCT survivors had impairments in strength and endurance; whereas flexibility and mobility impairments were noted among CT survivors. Despite successful advances in childhood AML therapy, many therapeutic exposures remain unchanged. These findings support ongoing investigations of novel therapies and strategies to ameliorate the risk of late morbidities.

Automated summary

The study examined the cumulative burden of chronic health conditions and neurocognitive and physical function among survivors of childhood AML treated with HCT or CT. It was found that both HCT and CT survivors had higher prevalence of certain health conditions compared to community controls, emphasizing the need for ongoing investigations of novel therapies to reduce late morbidities.