Incidence and risk factors for suicide and attempted suicide following a diagnosis of hematological malignancy.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked Files. This article is open access.Solid tumors are associated with an increased risk of suicide, however, there is limited detailed information on the risk of suicide in patients with hematological malignancies. Therefore, we conducted a population-based study including 47,220 patients with hematological malignancies (diagnosed 1992-2006) and their 235,868 matched controls to define the incidence and risk factors for suicide and suicide attempt. Information on suicides, suicide attempts, and preexisting psychiatric disorders was obtained from Swedish registers and individual medical records. There was a twofold increased (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.5-2.3, P < 0.0001) risk of suicide/suicide attempt during the first 3 years after diagnosis in patients with hematological malignancies compared to matched controls. Of all hematological malignancies, multiple myeloma was associated with the highest risk (HR = 3.4; 2.3-5.0, P < 0.0001). Patients with a preexisting psychiatric disorder were at a very high risk of suicide and suicide attempt (HR = 23.3; 16.6-32.6, P < 0.0001), regardless of type of hematological malignancy. Among patients who committed suicide, 19% were in a palliative phase and 44% were in remission with no active treatment. In conclusion, the risk of suicide and suicide attempt is elevated in patients with hematological malignancies. Certain high-risk patients may benefit from early detection and preventive measures.Swedish Cancer Society CAN 2012/483 regional agreement on medical training and clinical research (ALF) between Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institutet 20120004 Adolf H Lundin Charitable Foundation Blodcancerfonde

Myeloid malignancies in the real-world : Occurrence, progression and survival in the UK’s population-based Haematological Malignancy Research Network 2004–15

Background: Population-based information on cancer incidence, prevalence and outcome are required to inform clinical practice and research; but contemporary data are lacking for many myeloid malignancy subtypes. Methods: Set within a socio-demographically representative UK population of ~4 million, myeloid malignancy data (N = 5231 diagnoses) are from an established patient cohort. Information on incidence, survival (relative & overall), transformation/progression, and prevalence is presented for >20 subtypes. Results: The median diagnostic age was 72.4 years (InterQuartile Range 61.6-80.2), but there was considerable subtype heterogeneity, particularly among the acute myeloid leukaemias (AML) where medians ranged from 20.3 (IQR 13.9-43.8) for AML 11q23 through to 73.7 (IQR 57.3-79.1) for AML with no recurrent genetic changes. Five-year Relative Survival (RS) estimates varied hugely; from 85% for indolent/treatable conditions like chronic myeloid leukaemia (89.8%, 95% CI 84.0-93.6). With a couple of notable exceptions, males experienced higher rates and worse survival than females: the age-standardized incidence rates of several conditions was 2-4 higher in males than females, and the 5-year RS for all subtypes combined was 48.8% (95% CI 46.5-51.2) and 60.4% (95% CI 57.7-62.9) for males and females respectively. During follow-up (potential minimum 2 years and maximum 11 years) myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) progression to AML ranged from 25% for refractory anaemia with excess blasts through to 5% for refractory anaemia with ring sideroblasts: the median interval between MDS and AML diagnosis was 9.0 months (IQR 4.8-17.4 months). Conclusions: The marked incidence and outcome variations seen by subtype, sex and age, confirm the requirement for "real-world" longitudinal data to inform aetiological hypotheses, healthcare planning, and future monitoring of therapeutic change. Several challenges for routine cancer registration were identified, including the need to link more effectively to diagnostic and clinical data sources, and to review policies on the recording of progressions and transformations

Prognosis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Population-Based Study on 5,809 Patients Diagnosed in Sweden 1973–2001

Abstract Background AML is an aggressive disease, which is rapidly fatal without specific therapy. Such treatment was not available until the early 1970’s when combinations of anthracyclines and cytarabine were introduced. Since then major improvements have been made in chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation (SCT) and supportive care. The aim of this study was to define the impact of modern AML treatment strategies on outcome. Extrapolation of results from clinical trials may not be appropriate for estimation of outcome in the whole population because of a varying degree of patient selection. In this study relative survival rates (RSR) were estimated in relation to age, sex, calendar period and region of residence in a cohort of 5,809 AML patients. Methods Records on all patients with AML reported to the Swedish Cancer Register between 1973 and 2001 were linked to the nationwide Cause of Death Register. Information on the number of SCT in AML patients in Sweden during the study period was obtained from the EBMT register. Survival analysis were performed by computing relative survival rates (RSR), defined as the ratio of observed survival of the patients in the cohort versus the expected survival among individuals of the same age, sex, and calendar year of observation. Results 5809 AML patients diagnosed between January 1, 1973 and December 31, 2001 were identified. The cases were divided into six age groups; 0–18, 19–40, 41–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 80+ years. The study period was arbitrarily divided into 7-year intervals. Improvement was seen in all age groups but the eldest. However, patients < 60 years benefited most from new treatment strategies (table 1). There was a marked increase in SCT during the study period with allogeneic SCT dominating in the last period (fig 1). A comparison between regions (with different therapeutical traditions) was made. The regions of Stockholm, Uppsala and Örebro have cooperated since 1971 within the Leukemia Group of Middle Sweden (LGMS) and was therefore considered as one region and compared with the rest of the country. During the first calendar period the 5-year RSR of residents with AML in LGMS counties was significantly higher than that of patients in remaining regions. However, this difference has disappeared with time. Conclusion Improvement in overall survival of AML patients was mainly confined to young patients (<60 years). However, among patients 60–71 years at diagnosis, a slightly improved RSR was observed. For patients above the age of 70 years, the prognosis remains very poor stressing the fact that the decision to use aggressive chemotherapy for this group of patients should consider the risk of iatrogenic morbidity and mortality as well as projected benefit. The early creation of a cooperative clinical AML group probably explains the improved RSR rates during the first study period (1973–1979). Table 1. Five-year RSR (%) according to age group and calendar period calendar period/age group (years) 1973–1979 1980–1986 1987–1993 1994–2000 0–18 17 31 52 68 19–40 14 17 38 58 41–60 7 13 22 36 61–70 6 8 12 15 71–80 3 3 7 6 81+ 1 0 0 1 Fig. 1 Number of stem cell transplantation in Sweden 1973–2001 Fig. 1. Number of stem cell transplantation in Sweden 1973–200

Familial aggregation of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes.

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field.Apart from rare pedigrees with multiple cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there is limited data on familial aggregation of AML and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) in the population. Swedish population-based registry data were used to evaluate risk of AML, MDS, and other malignancies among 24,573 first-degree relatives of 6,962 patients with AML and 1,388 patients with MDS compared with 106,224 first-degree relatives of matched controls. We used a marginal survival model to calculate familial aggregation. AML and/or MDS did not aggregate significantly in relatives of patients with AML. There was a modest risk ratio (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.9 to 1.8) in myeloproliferative/myeloid malignancies combined. The risks for any hematologic or any solid tumor were modestly but significantly increased. Relatives of patients with MDS did not show an increased risk for any hematologic tumors. In contrast, we found a significantly increased risk (RR, 6.5; 95% CI, 1.1 to 38.0) of AML/MDS and of all myeloid malignancies combined (RR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.0 to 9.8) among relatives of patients diagnosed at younger than age 21 years. We did not find evidence for familial aggregation of the severe end of the spectrum of myeloid malignancies (AML and MDS). The risks of myeloproliferative neoplasms were modestly increased with trends toward significance, suggesting a possible role of inheritance. In contrast, although limited in sample size, relatives of young patients with AML were at increased risk of AML/MDS, suggesting that germline genes may play a stronger role in these patients. The increased risk of all hematologic malignancies and of solid tumors among relatives of patients with AML suggests that genes for malignancy in general and/or other environmental factors may be shared.National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Adolf H. Lundin Charitable Foundation, Swedish Cancer Society Stockholm County Council Karolinska Institute

Chronic Immune Stimulation Might Act As a Trigger for the Development of Acute Myeloid Leukemia or Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Purpose Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) often present with infections, but there are little data to assess whether a personal history of selected infections may act as pathogenic triggers. To additionally expand our knowledge on the role of immune stimulation in the causation of AML and MDS, we have conducted a large, population-based study to evaluate the risk of AML and MDS associated with a prior history of a broad range of infections or autoimmune diseases. Patients and Methods By using population-based central registries in Sweden, we included 9,219 patients with AML, 1,662 patients with MDS, and 42,878 matched controls. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for the association of AML or MDS with infectious and/or autoimmune diseases. Results Overall, a history of any infectious disease was associated with a significantly increased risk of both AML (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2 to 1.4) and MDS (OR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 1.5). These associations were significant even when we limited infections to those occurring 3 or more years before AML/MDS. A previous history of any autoimmune disease was associated with a 1.7-fold (95% CI, 1.5 to 1.9) increased risk for AML and 2.1-fold (95% CI, 1.7 to 2.6) increased risk for MDS. A large range of conditions were each significantly associated with AML and MDS. Conclusion Our novel findings indicate that chronic immune stimulation acts as a trigger for AML/MDS development. The underlying mechanisms may also be due to a common genetic predisposition or an effect of treatment for infections/autoimmune conditions. J Clin Oncol 29:2897-2903. (C) 2011 by American Society of Clinical Oncolog