The characteristics and outcome of patients with late relapse acute myelogenous leukemia.

Abstract
The characteristics and outcome of 58 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) who experienced relapse after a first remission duration longer than 18 months (late-relapse AML) were analyzed and compared with those of 278 patients with earlier relapses. Late-relapse AML was associated with a lower incidence of antecedent hematologic disorder, leukocytosis, and elevated creatinine and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. A favorable karyotype (inversion of chromosome 16; translocations between chromosomes 8 and 21, or 15 and 17) was more frequent in patients whose first remission was 12 months or longer compared with less than 12 months (30% v 10%; P less than .0001). An unfavorable karyotype (chromosome 5 and 7 abnormalities, trisomy 8, other changes) was more frequent in the latter category (16% v 42%; P less than .0001). Thirty-seven of the 58 patients (64%) with late-relapse AML achieved complete remission (CR). The incidence of CR increased significantly with an increased first remission dura...