Trends in survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in Germany and the USA in the first decade of the twenty-first century

J Hematol Oncol. 2016 Mar 22:9:28. doi: 10.1186/s13045-016-0257-2.

Abstract

Background: Recent population-based studies in the United States of America (USA) and other countries have shown improvements in survival for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) diagnosed in the early twenty-first century. Here, we examine the survival for patients diagnosed with CLL in Germany in 1997-2011.

Methods: Data were extracted from 12 cancer registries in Germany and compared to the data from the USA. Period analysis was used to estimate 5- and 10-year relative survival (RS).

Results: Five- and 10-year RS estimates in 2009-2011 of 80.2 and 59.5%, respectively, in Germany and 82.4 and 64.7%, respectively, in the USA were observed. Overall, 5-year RS increased significantly in Germany and the difference compared to the survival in the USA which slightly decreased between 2003-2005 and 2009-2011. However, age-specific analyses showed persistently higher survival for all ages except for 15-44 in the USA. In general, survival decreased with age, but the age-related disparity was small for patients younger than 75. In both countries, 5-year RS was >80% for patients less than 75 years of age but <70% for those age 75+.

Conclusions: Overall, 5-year survival for patients with CLL is good, but 10-year survival is significantly lower, and survival was much lower for those age 75+. Major differences in survival between countries were not observed. Further research into ways to increase survival for older CLL patients are needed to reduce the persistent large age-related survival disparity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Female
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / diagnosis
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / mortality*
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / therapy
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / methods
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / statistics & numerical data
  • Outcome Assessment, Health Care / trends
  • Prognosis
  • Registries / statistics & numerical data*
  • SEER Program / statistics & numerical data*
  • Survival Analysis
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Young Adult