Survival of children with chronic myeloid leukemia.

We analyzed survival in 203 children with Philadelphia-chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Median survival was 4.1 years; average annual risk of death was 20%. These survival data are similar to those reported in adults. Because there is no possibility of long-term disease-free survival in children with CML with conventional therapies, the findings of this study suggest that bone marrow transplantation should be considered in these patients.