Korean J Pediatr Hematol Oncol.  2002 Apr;9(1):9-20.

Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Korea

• Lee KC
• Kang IJ
• Kang SH
• Koo HH
• Kook H
• Kim KY
• Kim MK
• Kim SK
• Kim HK
• Kim HM
• Kim HS
• Nam SK
• Moon HN
• Park KD
• Park SM
• Park JS
• Park JY
• Park HJ
• Suh WS
• Seo JJ
• Sung KW
• Shin SM
• Shin HY
• Shim TS
• Ahn DH
• Ahn HS
• Yang CH
• Yang ES
• Woo CW
• Ryu KH
• Yoo ES
• Lyu CJ
• Lee KS
• Lee SY
• Lee YH
• Lee H
• Lim YT
• Im HJ
• Cho B
• Cho HS
• Choeh KC
• Choi DY
• Choi SW
• Choi YM
• Hah JO
• Hwang PH
• Hwang TJ

Abstract

PURPOSE: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of childhood leukemia. We investigated epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features and treatment outcome of the children with ALL in Korea during recent 5 years.
METHODS
One thousand forty nine patients were enrolled between January 1994 and December 1998 from 37 major hospitals in Korea. The data regarding the clinical and laboratory features including age, WBC counts at diagnosis, immunophenotype, morphology, cytogenetics and treatment outcome of patients were analyzed retrospectively by review of patient's medical records. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed. The differences between groups analyzed by log-rank test.
RESULTS
There were 597 males and 452 females. The distribution between the age 2 and 5 years is most common in 46.1%. The annual incidence rate per 100,000 population varied from 1.6 to 2.2. The 5 year event free survival (EFS) rates according to good prognostic factors were as follows: 67% bet ween 1-9 year of age at diagnosis, 69% in under 10,000/mm3of initial WBC count, 74% in early pre-B cell CALLA ( ) immunophenotype, 65% in L3 morphology, 68% in no CNS invasion. Most of patients were treated by CCG treatment protocol. The 5 year EFS was 63%. Main complications were sepsis (21.8%) and hemorrhage (12.5%). The relapse rate was 15.6%. The common causes of death were sepsis, DIC, pneumonia, relapse.
CONCLUSION
Our results could provide the most recent and important information about acute lymphoblastic leukemia of children in Korea.

Keyword

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia; Epidemiology; Event free survival; Children

MeSH Terms

Cause of Death
Child
Clinical Protocols
Cytogenetics
Dacarbazine
Diagnosis
Disease-Free Survival
Epidemiology*
Female
Hemorrhage
Humans
Incidence
Kaplan-Meier Estimate
Korea*
Leukemia
Male
Medical Records
Pneumonia
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*
Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid
Recurrence
Retrospective Studies
Sepsis
Treatment Outcome
Dacarbazine