Prognostic Significance And Risk Stratification In Acute Myeloid Leukaemia Patients In The Absence Of Successful Cytogenetic Analysis

Cytogenetic analysis is a key tool in risk stratification of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Sometimes samples are not sent or metaphase analysis fails (~10% cases). In these situations, a cytogenetic risk score cannot be assigned, preventing risk stratification. It has been suggested that in the absence of cytogenetic data, both missing and failed, patients have a poor outcome (Mederios et al (Br. J. Haematol. 2014 164(2): 245-50); Lazarevic et al (Eur. J. Haematol. 2015 94(5): 419-23)). In this study, we investigated the characteristics and prognostic significance of the provision of samples, and their successful analysis across the MRC UK series of AML trials (AML10 - AML16).