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The survival of younger patients with acute leukemia has improved in the early 21(st) century, but it is unknown whether people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds have benefited equally. Using cancer registry data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program, we assessed trends in 5-year relative survival for patients aged 15 years or more with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloblastic leukemia divided by racial and ethnic group, including non-Hispanic whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asian-Pacific Islanders in the 1990s and the early 21(st) century. Modeled period analysis was used to obtain the most up-to-date estimates of survival. Overall, the 5-year survival increased from 31.6% in 1997-2002 to 39.0% in 2003-2008 for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and from 15.5% in 1991-1996 to 22.5% in 2003-2008 for those with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Nevertheless, among patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, age-adjusted 5-year relative survival rates remained lower for African-Americans and Hispanics than for non-Hispanic whites. Among patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, the increase in survival was greatest (from 32.6% in 1991-1996 to 47.1% in 2003-2008) for younger patients (15-54 years), and was more pronounced for non-Hispanic whites (+16.4% units) than for other patients (+10.8% units). Increases in survival are observed in all ethnic or racial groups. Nevertheless, among patients with acute leukemias, disparities in survival persist between non-Hispanic white people and people of other ethnic or racial groups. Disparities are increasing in younger patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. Improvements in access to treatment, especially for minority patients, may improve outcomes.

New therapeutic options have led to substantial increases in survival expectations of younger patients with multiple myeloma in recent years. In the past, the impact of these innovations on long-term survival has been disclosed only with substantial delay. We aimed to derive up-to-date estimates of long-term survival expectations of concurrently diagnosed multiple myeloma patients. Using data from the 1973-2005 database of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program, we employed a novel model-based projection method to project 5-and 10-year relative survival expectations of multiple myeloma patients in the United States diagnosed in 2006-2010. Preliminary empirical evaluation of the method using historical data indicated good performance. Projected 5-year relative survival for patients diagnosed in 2006-2010 below 45 years of age is 68.0%, which exceeds the most up-to-date estimates obtained from traditional cohort and period analysis by 15.5 and 7.0 percent units respectively. Ten-year relative survival projection for patients in this age group is 55.3%, exceeding the most up-to-date estimates from traditional cohort and period analysis by 19.7 and 7.4 percent units respectively. By contrast, survival projections remain much lower and hardly exceed estimates from traditional survival analysis for older patients. Patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2006-2010, especially those diagnosed at younger ages, are expected to have much higher long-term survival perspectives than suggested by previously available survival statistics.

Within the past decades, major advances in therapy for chronic myelocytic leukemia, including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, interferon therapy, and, more recently, also therapy with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib, have entered clinical practice. The impact of these advances on long-term survival on the population level should be disclosed as timely as possible. We estimated trends in age specific 5- and 10-year relative survival of chronic myelocytic leukemia patients in the United States from 1990-1992 to 2002-2004. Our analysis is based on records from 8,329 patients aged 15 years or older with a first diagnosis of chronic myelocytic leukemia included in the 1973-2004 data base of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Period analysis was used to disclose recent developments with minimum delay. Overall, 5-year relative survival increased from 27 to 49%, and 10-year relative survival increased from 9.5 to 34% between 1990-92 and 2002-04. The increase was most dramatic for younger patients, with 10-year relative survival increasing from 16 to 72% in age group 15-44 years, from 12 to 54% in age group 45-54 years, and from 8 to 34% in age group 55-64 years (p<0.0001 in all cases). Improvements were more modest and not statistically significant, and survival remained at much lower levels among age groups 65-74 and 75+ years. Our analysis discloses a dramatic recent increase in long-term survival of younger patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia which most likely reflects rapid dissemination of advances in therapy on the population level.

Treatment of adults with acute myeloblastic leukemia has changed substantially over the past two decades. Currently available estimates of survival do not reflect results from present state-of-the-art treatment due to a lag between the availability of new treatments and data concerning their effect on survival on the population level when traditional cohort analysis is used. We estimated trends in age-specific 5- and 10-year relative survival of acute myeloblastic leukemia patients aged over 15 years old for 5-year calendar periods from 1980-1984 through 2000-2004 using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program. Period analysis was employed to reveal recent developments in prognosis. Five and 10-year relative survival improved greatly between 1980-1984 and 2000-2004 for all patients except those aged over 75 years old. Improvements were greatest for patients aged 15-34, with increases in 5- and 10-year relative survival of greater than 30% points in this group. Five and 10-year relative survival reached 52.3% and 47.9%, respectively, in this group in 2000-2004. Less pronounced but still substantial improvements in relative survival were seen in the 35-54 and 55-64 age groups. Survival was unchanged, at less than 5%, for patients aged over 75 years old. Our period analysis reveals major improvement on the population level in long-term prognosis of younger patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia, most likely explained by multiple incremental improvements in care including better and more specific diagnosis, improvements in and extension of the use of stem cell transplantation and high dose therapy, and improved supportive care.