Incidence and survival outcomes of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia in the United States

Abstract

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is an aggressive neoplasm with sparse data on outcomes at a population level. Using Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 2238 patients with CMML diagnosed in the period 2003-2013. We found that the disease incidence was significantly higher with advancing age and lower in females, Blacks, and Asian/pacific islanders. Median OS declined significantly with increasing age (age 20-39 - 25 months, age 40-59 - 20 months, age 60-79 - 18 months, and age ≥80 - 11 months, p < .01), but did not vary by gender or race. Median OS has improved in the period 2007-2013 as compared with 2003-2006 (17 months vs. 14 months, p < .01). In spite of advances in CMML biology and therapeutics, in general, the survival of CMML patients remains dismal. More effective therapies are needed to improve the outcomes of CMML.