Epidemiology of acute myeloid leukaemia

Although Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) is rare, it is the commonest form of acute leukaemia in the adults.

In the western world AML is responsible for 25% of all leukaemias in adults

• out of 7,600 people who are diagnosed with leukemias each year, around 2300 have AML (2)
• affects around 3 out of 100,000 people in the UK (1)
• incidence in adults in Europe is 5-8 cases/100 000/year (4)
• the highest incidence of AML is seen in the U.S., Australia, and western Europe (3)

AML tends to show 2 peaks in incidence

• in early childhood
  • the incidence peaks during the first year of life and then decrease steadily until the age of 4 years after which it remains relatively constant throughout the years of childhood and early adulthood (3)
• in late adulthood
  • is rare before the age of 40 years but the incidence increases progressively thereafter with age (3)
  • is common in people over 65 years of age (2)
• in USA between the years 2000 to 2003, the incidence rate of AML in people age <65 years was only 1.8 per 100,000 persons, while in people age >=65 years it was 17 per 100,000 persons (3)

Note:

• a high incidence and also a poor prognosis of AML in the elderly appears to be partly associated with the increased incidence of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with age (based on the fact that there is frequent progression of MDS to AML)

Reference:

• 1. Pollyea DA, Kohrt HE, Medeiros BC. Acute myeloid leukaemia in the elderly: a review. Br J Haematol. 2011 Mar;152(5):524-42
• 2. Cancer Research UK. About acute myeloid leukaemia
• 3. Deschler B, Lübbert M. Acute myeloid leukemia: epidemiology and etiology. Cancer. 2006;107(9):2099-107.
• 4. Fey M, Dreyling M; ESMO Guidelines Working Group. Acute myeloblastic leukemia in adult patients: ESMO clinical recommendations for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol. 2009;20 Suppl 4:100-1.