relapse-free survival time in newly-diagnosed AML Effect of circulating blasts at time of complete remission on subsequent

Standardized criteria for complete remission (CR) in AML require the absence of peripheral blood blasts (PBB). However, M.D. Anderson (MDA) criteria for CR (CRMDA), while including the other requirements for CR, have not included the PBB count. We exploit this difference to assess the effect of PBB at the time of CR-MDA on relapsefree survival (RFS) time. 80% of the 533 patients with newly-diagnosed AML or RAEB entering CR-MDA from 19952000 had no PBB at time of CR-MDA. 93% of the remaining patients, who thus had CR-MDA but not standard CR , had 1-5% PBBs at this time. Multivariate analyses, using both conventional and Bayesian approaches, indicated that PBB had no effect on RFS.For all patients and for the subgroups given and not given G-CSF, the 95% credible interval for the relative risk of failure in the PBB group was nearly centered at 1.0. Thus, our data do not support use of PBB in defining CR in newlydiagnosed AML. For personal use only. by on April 17, 2008. www.bloodjournal.org From